American Idol fan-favorite Alex Miller was on board a bus that collided with a car that had veered into its path. The driver of that car was killed on Tuesday night (Feb. 13).

• Alex Miller was on Season 19 of American Idol. He was eliminated when he refused to sway from his traditional country roots.
• The 20-year-old has continued to release new music since, including his 2023 EP Country.
• WXYT-TV in Lexington identified the man killed in the crash as 58-year-old James Mcpheron. Another local TV station said Mcpheron was just 53 years old.

According to police, the driver of the car — a 2004 Toyota Rav4, per WYMT-TV — drove into Miller’s tour bus. Kentucky State Police are still investigating, but nobody on the singer’s bus was hurt.

Miller’s bus was being driven by Roger Miller, although it’s not certain that’s the same person as the singer’s father, who is also named Roger.

A note on Instagram shares Miller’s account:

“Alex sends his thoughts and prayers to the gentleman and his family,” it reads.

The crash happened in Mount Vernon, Ky., a town 35-minutes southeast of Miller’s Lancaster, Ky. hometown. Police say it happened at 10:28PM.

Who Is Alex Miller?

Alex Miller was only 17 years old when he appeared on American Idol. He impressed judges like Luke Bryan with a sound that recalls Kentucky greats like Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley, but when asked to bend into a genre that offered more mass appeal, he refused.

“I feel like I’m kind of a Matt Dillon when it comes to country music,” he told Taste of Country later, referring to a character from the TV show Gunsmoke. “I do stick to my guns. I do what I enjoy musically. At the end of the day if you can’t get up and enjoy what you do, what’s the point in doing what you’re doing?”

The then-high schooler was hardly discouraged after being cut. He’s continued to book shows, record country music his way and build a career the old fashion way.

He shared that he’d finally gotten a tour bus one year ago in a TikTok video that no longer has any sound.