JASPER, Tenn. (AP) — A finalist on “American Idol” has died in a vehicle crash in Tennessee.
Willie Spence, 23, died Tuesday after hitting the rear of a tractor-trailer that was stopped on the shoulder of Interstate 24 East near Chattanooga, according to news outlets, which cited a Tennessee Highway Patrol report.
Both drivers were wearing seatbelts, and the truck driver wasn’t injured, the crash report said.
Spence, who was from Georgia, finished in second place on season 19 of “American Idol” last year.
The singing competition show released a statement on social media, saying Spence “was a true talent who lit up every room he entered.”