American Idol contestant Alex Miller involved in fatal accident after car crashes into bus with singer's bandmates
Olivia Shea
Published Sep 05, 2026
AMERICAN Idol star, Alex Miller, has remembered the victim of a fatal car accident he was involved in on Tuesday in Kentucky.
The country singer, 20, was not operating either vehicle at the time of the accident.
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“While traveling back from a vacation last night, rising Country star Alex Miller and several members of his band were on a bus that was hit by a car,” said a statement on his Instagram.
“Sadly, the driver of the car is deceased. Alex sends his thoughts and prayers to the gentleman and his family.
“No one on the bus was injured. Kentucky State Police are investigating," the statement continued.
Police investigated a two-vehicle collision that occurred around 10:28 pm on Tuesday.
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According to the police report, 53-year-old James Mcpherson lost control of his Toyota Rav4 and swerved into Miller's tour bus.
The tour bus was operated by 43-year-old Roger Miller.
"As a result of the collision, Mr. Mcpheron was transported by Rockcastle EMS to the Rockcastle Regional Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased by the Rockcastle County Coroner," the report said.
Miller’s manager told People the accident was “very unfortunate" and that he and his client were “very sorry that the driver of the car is deceased.”
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Miller, who was on season 19 of the hit TV show, has continued to play shows and write new music, according to Music Row.
"It was a great experience," the singer said about American Idol, according to the outlet.
“Being on national television—I never thought I’d ever do anything like that. I’m just a bumpkin from Lancaster,” he said.
Superstar musician Billy Joel performs Uptown Girl“I learned so much about how to grow your character and develop yourself as a person.”
ROAD TO STARDOM
The singer-songwriter was with his bandmates at the time of the tragic collision, but he was not returning from one of his shows at the time.
Miller has performed at country venues such as the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee and the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
He has also opened for artists such as Brooks & Dunn, Hank Williams Jr., Jamey Johnson and Josh Turner.
Miller has recently released an EP titled Country, through Billy Jam Records.
“Everybody wants to know what’s going on with my music and what’s coming up next,” Miller told Music Row.
“The EP is a combination of songs from everything that I like... I wanted to see what I could do as an artist—what worked and what didn’t work—that’s what this record is for me.”
TIME ON TV
The country crooner first found fame at just 17-years-old when he appeared on American Idol in 2021.
He stood out for his performance of Freeborn Man by Jimmy Martin.
The teen's unique twist earned him praise from judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and fellow country singer Luke Bryan.
Luke was impressed with his voice and compared it to greats such as Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley.
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However, Miller's run on the show ended when he was asked to change genres by judges Lionel, Luke and Katy - but the contestant refused to make the switch and did not continue with the show.
On Tuesday, Katy shocked fans when she announced she was leaving American Idol after judging the singing competition for 7 seasons.
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