An American Idol finalist named Rickey Smith, who appeared on the second season of the show, was killed in a car crash on Thursday, May 5. He was 36.
NewsOK reported that Smith was driving his vehicle on a highway just outside Oklahoma City around 3:00 a.m. when a pickup truck driving the wrong way on the highway struck him head on. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.
Law enforcement officials said that the driver of the truck, Gerardo Cerda Jr., 27, was hospitalized and booked for DUI.
Smith came in eighth place during season 2 of American Idol. Clay Aiken was a contestant on that same season and expressed his grief for the loss via Twitter writing, “Suffice it to say my heart is truly breaking today. ???? Heaven's choir has a new beautiful voice. I love you and will miss you, Rickey. ????”
Aiken then shared an emotional post and pic of Smith during their 2003 tour.