A once promising contestant on NBC’s singing program “The Voice” was arrested in Oklahoma last week on an outstanding vehicular homicide warrant.
Kata Hay, whose legal name is Kata Huddleston, was taken into custody on December 17 following a multi-state law enforcement effort to locate her and extradite her back to Tennessee, according to a report from the New York Post.
Hay was allegedly involved in a fatal crash earlier this month on Long Hollow Pike near Interstate 65 in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, located within Davidson County. She is accused of driving under the influence, having an open container of alcohol in her vehicle, striking two other vehicles in a hit-and-run, and fleeing the scene.
One victim, 82-year-old Gayle Nichols, was struck in the hit-and-run and later died on December 12, 2025, leading to the vehicular homicide charge. No additional details on other injuries have been reported, though the incident involved at least two vehicles being hit.
Following the crash, Hay was initially charged with DUI, leaving the scene of an accident involving over $1,500 in damage, and possessing an open container on December 10, 2025, in Goodlettsville. After Gayle Nichols’ death on December 12, authorities issued an outstanding warrant for vehicular homicide.
The Goodlettsville Police Department posted a photo of Kay, 38, where she was dressed in a black-and-white prison jumpsuit, while the manhunt was ongoing on December 18. She was ultimately booked into the Osage County Jail the following day, according to jail records.
Law enforcement credited citizen tips, some of which came from TikTok, for locating Kay after the “Be On the Lookout” (BOLO) alert was posted to social media.
Hay was previously convicted in Davidson County of driving under the influence (DUI) in 2017. She was on probation for that offense at the time of her 2025 arrest.
She pleaded guilty in August 2022 and was sentenced to six months in jail, which she served. Hay also received additional conditions including a mental health evaluation and an intensive outpatient program.
Hay appeared on season 10 of The Voice in 2016, after four unsuccessful attempts to make it through the initial auditions in prior seasons. During her blind audition, she performed Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman,” earning high praise from all three judges and a spot on Christina Aguilera’s team.
She advanced through the battle rounds (defeating Chelsea Gann) and knockouts (defeating Joe Maye), reaching the Top 20. However, she was eliminated in Week 1 of the live playoffs on April 11, 2016, after performing Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”
