A former contestant on “The Voice” has been charged in a December hit-and-run sequence that left a driver dead along the I-65 corridor near Long Hollow Pike. Police identified the suspect as Kata Huddleston, 38, who performed as Katy Hay on the show. She was arrested Dec. 16 in Oklahoma, extradited to Tennessee and formally charged in Davidson County this month, officials said.
Investigators from Goodlettsville police and Metro Nashville police say the Dec. 10 crashes began on I-65 and continued minutes later on nearby surface streets. The case drew wide attention because of Huddleston’s television profile and the multi-agency search that followed. Court records show she missed an initial court date on Dec. 13, sparking a wanted alert before deputies in Osage County, Okla., took her into custody. Prosecutors have since upgraded the investigation to vehicular homicide after the second crash victim died, and a judge has set her bond at $162,000 while the case proceeds.
Officers first responded shortly before sunset on Dec. 10 to a report that a red SUV rear-ended a driver on I-65 and left the scene, according to an arrest affidavit. Minutes later, a second collision was reported near the Long Hollow Pike off-ramp, where witnesses said the same red SUV struck another vehicle and fled. A Goodlettsville police spokesperson said investigators were dealing with “multiple scenes within a tight window,” and that witness accounts and physical evidence pointed to the same driver. Medics took the second motorist to TriStar Skyline Medical Center in critical condition. Two days later, that driver died from injuries related to the crash.
Police later found a red Kia Soul with heavy front-end damage and a blown front right tire in a nearby parking lot, according to the affidavit. Officers wrote that the driver smelled of alcohol and had pinpoint pupils, and they noted an open container inside the SUV. Huddleston was arrested that night on suspicion of DUI, leaving the scene and possessing an open container. After the hospitalized victim died on Dec. 12, detectives sought a vehicular homicide warrant. Records show Huddleston failed to appear in court on Dec. 13; authorities then received tips that she may have headed to Oklahoma, where she has ties. Osage County deputies arrested her Dec. 16 on a fugitive from justice warrant, and she later waived extradition.
By Jan. 9, Tennessee officials had returned Huddleston to Davidson County custody and filed the vehicular homicide case alongside DUI and leaving-the-scene counts. Jail logs list her bond at $162,000 pending a detention review. Investigators have not released the deceased driver’s name, citing the medical examiner’s process. Detectives said they are gathering surveillance video from businesses near the off-ramp, canvassing for dash camera footage from passing motorists and awaiting toxicology findings to clarify whether impairment will be central to the homicide allegation. Officials have not publicly stated the SUV’s speed, the total number of vehicles damaged or the exact route between the two scenes.
Huddleston performed nationally on NBC’s singing competition in 2016 and advanced to televised rounds as Katy Hay. Public records show prior legal issues in Tennessee unrelated to driving, including a 2022 conviction that resulted in a six-month jail term and a 2017 DUI for which she later served probation. Police emphasized that the current case concerns the Dec. 10 collisions and the subsequent death tied to the second crash. The investigation is being handled jointly by the Goodlettsville Police Department and the Metro Nashville Police Department because the scenes straddled jurisdictional lines along the interstate and adjacent roads.
Prosecutors outlined a standard path for the charges: an initial probable-cause review, potential grand jury presentation and, if indicted, an arraignment and pretrial motions addressing witness statements, vehicle searches and lab results. Court calendars indicate a detention review this month, with additional dates to be set after any indictment. Authorities said they continue to interview witnesses, map the route between the crash sites and review tow truck logs and repair receipts. No trial date has been set.
Neighbors and workers near the corridor described a sudden surge of emergency traffic on Dec. 10 as sirens converged before dusk. A store clerk at a shopping center near the off-ramp said officers taped off part of the lot and spoke with motorists who stopped to help. Drivers who encountered the first crash described a red SUV moving erratically in the minutes before the second collision. None of the witnesses were publicly identified in early statements, and police said they are withholding certain details to protect planned interviews.
Huddleston remains in the Davidson County jail while detectives finalize reports for prosecutors. The next milestone is a detention review and scheduling conference expected this month. Officials said additional updates will follow once the medical examiner’s findings and any toxicology reports are complete.
Author note: Last updated January 16, 2026.