You never can tell what life has in store for you. For 36-year-old former American Idol contestant Rickey E. Smith, Jr., what might have been a simple drive home ended in tragedy.
On May 6th, this Oklahoma native was killed in a gruesome accident on Interstate 240 in Oklahoma. He was the only casualty in the brutal accident, which happened in the early Friday morning hours.
Rickey was a finalist in season 2 of American Idol, and upon his return Oklahoma honored his incredible performance on the show. “You bring pride to Oklahoma, you bring recognition to Oklahoma; we’re excited for your achievements,” Fmr. Secretary of State, Susan Savage said, according to FOX25/OKC.
According to police reports, Rickey was heading eastbound on the Interstate. Driving a pickup truck heading west in the eastbound lanes, 27-year-old Gerardo Cerda, Jr. collided head-on with Rickey.
There were reports of the odor of alcohol in Cerda’s truck, and he is currently facing DUI charges. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Rickey’s family.
Watch one of Rickey’s few available performances in the video below! What did you think? Leave us a comment, we’d love to hear from you!
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