Country music performer Kata Hay, who previously appeared on NBC’s talent competition The Voice, has been arrested in connection with a vehicular homicide investigation stemming from a fatal traffic incident in Tennessee earlier this month.
Hay, whose legal name is Kata Huddleston, was detained by law enforcement in rural Oklahoma after authorities issued a multistate alert seeking her whereabouts. She is now awaiting extradition to Tennessee, where prosecutors plan to move forward with formal charges.
According to officials with the Goodlettsville Police Department, the warrant relates to a crash that occurred on December 10 along Long Hollow Pike near Interstate 65 in Davidson County. Investigators allege that Huddleston was involved in the collision and left the scene. Law enforcement later issued a “Be on the Lookout” notice indicating she may have fled the state while traveling with another individual in a vehicle towing a camper.
Public tips ultimately led police to locate Huddleston near Pawhuska, Oklahoma, where she was arrested on December 17. She was booked into the Osage County Jail on a fugitive warrant and is expected to appear in court before being transferred back to Tennessee authorities.
In addition to the vehicular homicide charge, court records indicate Huddleston may also face allegations related to leaving the scene of an accident involving significant property damage, as well as possession of an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle at the time of the incident.
The case adds to a growing list of legal troubles for the singer. Huddleston reportedly has an unresolved DUI case pending in Davidson County, classified as a second offense. She was already on probation from an earlier DUI conviction dating back to 2017. Separate from the current case, Huddleston previously served jail time following a guilty plea in a 2022 criminal matter in Sumner County involving unlawful contact with a minor.
Huddleston gained national recognition in 2016 when she competed on season 10 of The Voice under the stage name Kata Hay. Her blind audition performance earned multiple coach turnarounds, and she later advanced to the show’s Top 20 before being eliminated during the live competition rounds.
Authorities have not released additional details about the December 10 crash, citing the ongoing investigation. Further updates are expected following Huddleston’s extradition and court proceedings in Tennessee.
