Former 'American Idol' Contestant Haley Smith Dead At 26 — Here's What We Know
Rest in peace, Haley Smith.
Instagram She had a bright future ahead of her thanks to her participation on American Idol. However, she recently died at the age of 26. How did Haley Smith die?
Here's what we know about this unfortunate tragedy.
1. She was in Maine.
According to People Magazine, Haley Smith was on vacation in Maine when she passed away.
2. Haley Smith was on the 11th season of American Idol.
The New York Post reports that Haley Smith was on the 11th season of American Idol. At the time, she was only 18-years-old, and she charmed all of the judges with her version of Rufus and Chaka Khan's classic "Tell Me Something Good."
3. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a statement to Deadline, the Maine police who found her body confirmed that Haley Smith died at the scene of the accident. "Police said it appears Smith failed to negotiate a sharp turn and crashed. She was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation into the crash is pending," reported the outlet.
4. During her season of the show, Haley Smith went home in the second round.
According to Variety, even though Haley Smith impressed the judges with her version of Rufus and Chaka Khan's "Tell Me Something Good," she was eliminated from the competition in the second round.
5. Her father doesn't believe the official story.
"Hayley Smith died following a motorcycle crash and her family have since spoken out about her death. The American Idol contestant died on Saturday following a crash on a country road in Milinocket, Maine according to TMZ. The publication reported the star appeared to "fail to make a sharp turn" on the road's bend. The website spoke to her father, Mike Smith, following the crash and he said she was a good rider and “doubts” she lost control of her bike," reported Express.
6. Haley Smith died in a motorcycle crash.
American Idol contestant Haley Smith died in a motorcycle crash. She was 26-years-old.
Our thoughts are with Haley Smith's family during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.