A former contestant on NBC’s hit singing competition “The Voice” is facing serious criminal charges in Tennessee after authorities accused her of causing a deadly crash and fleeing the scene, adding another disturbing chapter to a troubled legal history.
Country singer Kata Hay, whose legal name is Kata Huddleston, was arrested in Oklahoma in December 2025 after police in Tennessee launched a search for her in connection with a fatal collision near Nashville.
The 39-year-old performer, who once competed on Christina Aguilera’s team and made it into the show’s Top 20, is now facing multiple felony charges, including vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular homicide.
According to police reports, the incident unfolded on December 10, 2025, along Interstate 65 near Long Hollow Pike in Goodlettsville, a suburb north of Nashville.
Investigators say Huddleston was allegedly involved in a series of crashes while driving a red Kia Soul.
The first reported collision occurred when a woman told officers that a red SUV had struck her vehicle from behind on Interstate 65 before the driver fled.
Shortly afterward, witnesses reported another collision near Long Hollow Pike. According to an arrest affidavit, a red SUV exited the interstate, turned left and crashed into another vehicle before leaving the scene again.
The driver of that vehicle suffered critical injuries and was rushed to TriStar Skyline Medical Center for emergency treatment.
Tragically, the woman died two days later, turning the investigation into a vehicular homicide case.
Police eventually located a damaged red Kia Soul in a parking lot along Rivergate Parkway.
According to court documents, officers encountered Huddleston and reported that she smelled of alcohol and had unusually constricted pupils. Investigators also allegedly spotted a half-empty alcoholic beverage container inside the vehicle.
The SUV reportedly had significant front-end damage and a blown front tire, consistent with the collisions officers were investigating.
Huddleston was initially arrested on charges including driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and possessing an open container of alcohol.
She was released on bond, but the situation escalated after the injured woman died and additional criminal charges were pursued.
Authorities subsequently issued a public alert seeking Huddleston’s whereabouts.
The Goodlettsville Police Department warned that she was wanted on outstanding vehicular homicide warrants and might be traveling toward Oklahoma.
Investigators also believed she could be accompanied by a man and potentially towing a large camper.
The police department’s warning prompted a search that eventually led authorities across state lines.
On December 17, Goodlettsville police announced that Huddleston had been apprehended in Oklahoma, where she was held pending extradition to Tennessee.
Records from the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office show that she was booked into custody in Nashville on January 9, 2026.
Her case has since advanced through the Tennessee court system, with public records showing a felony case filed in May 2026 involving nine criminal counts.
Those charges include aggravated vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide, DUI-related offenses, reckless endangerment and allegations involving leaving the scene of a crash.
The aggravated vehicular homicide allegation is particularly serious because Tennessee law permits enhanced penalties under certain circumstances, including when qualifying prior DUI convictions are involved.
Court records reviewed in October 2026 continue to list the case as unresolved, with no confirmed final conviction on the charges stemming from the deadly crash.
The investigation has also renewed scrutiny of Huddleston’s previous encounters with law enforcement.
Her criminal history includes an earlier DUI case in Nashville dating back to 2016, with court proceedings continuing into 2017.
But an even more troubling incident emerged several years later.
In 2022, Huddleston pleaded guilty in a separate case involving sexual contact with a minor, according to previous reporting by Nashville television station WKRN.
She was sentenced to six months in jail following that guilty plea.
That conviction is separate from the current vehicular homicide proceedings, but it has added to the public attention surrounding the former reality television contestant.
For country music fans, the singer’s legal troubles represent a dramatic contrast to the promising career that once placed her before millions of television viewers.
Hay gained national recognition in 2016 when she auditioned for Season 10 of “The Voice,” impressing the judges with her performance of Gretchen Wilson’s country hit “Redneck Woman.”
Her powerful vocals and outgoing personality helped her secure a place on Christina Aguilera’s team.
She advanced through the competition and reached the Top 20 before being eliminated during the live playoffs.
Although she did not win the competition, the appearance introduced her music to a much wider audience and helped establish her reputation as an aspiring country artist.
She continued pursuing music after leaving the program, releasing recordings and performing under her stage name.
Now, nearly a decade after her national television debut, the singer is attracting attention for an entirely different reason.
The deadly crash investigation has raised serious questions about the events leading up to the collision, the alleged decision to leave the scene and whether prosecutors can establish impairment as a contributing factor.
Under Tennessee law, vehicular homicide charges require prosecutors to prove specific elements connecting a defendant’s conduct to another person’s death. An aggravated vehicular homicide charge carries additional legal requirements and potentially more severe punishment.
Huddleston remains presumed innocent of the pending charges unless proven guilty in court.
As the case continues, investigators and prosecutors will rely on evidence that could include witness accounts, vehicle damage, accident reconstruction findings and any available toxicology results.
For the family of the woman who died following the December 10 crash, the criminal proceedings represent an effort to determine accountability for a collision that ended a life.
And for Huddleston, a singer who once hoped to build a lasting career after appearing on one of America’s biggest television competitions, the outcome could have life-changing consequences.
The Davidson County criminal case remains pending, with further court proceedings expected to determine whether prosecutors can prove the allegations against her.
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