During her short stint on the show, Haley, then 18, gushed about her love of nature, revealing "It's where I feel more at peace, you could say." She also opened up about her many jobs as a house cleaner, restaurant buser and “a vegetarian working in the meat department.”
Beloved American Idol contestant Haley Smith dies in motorcycle accident
American Idol contestant Haley Smith— who wowed the judges during the 11th season— died in a motorcycle crash in Maine over the weekend. She was 26-years-old.
Police confirmed to PEOPLE that the single-vehicle accident took place in the town of Millinocket at 2 a.m. on Saturday.
“Unfortunately, we responded to a single-vehicle accident at 0200 hours, on Aug. 31, 2019. It would appear initially that she failed to negotiate a sharp turn and crashed,” the Millinocket Police Department told PEOPLE, adding that she was pronounced dead at the scene. "A Sergeant from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s office and an officer from Old Town Police Department assisted in the crash investigation. Investigation pending."
The talented singer's father, Mike Smith, told TMZ that his daughter was a skilled driver and believes a deer was the cause of the sudden swerve.
WATCH: HALEY SMITH'S AMERICAN IDOL AUDITION
Her family was preparing to celebrate her birthday in November.
Although Haley's time on the hit singing series was brief, she made her mark by impressing the judges with her folk-tinged rendition of the funky Rufus & Chaka Khan classic, “Tell Me Something Good".
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler described Haley as "right out of my era".
“I love your voice so much,” he enthused. “You’re right out of my era and I’m honoured to be here listening to your voice.”
Although she made it to the Hollywood round, she was eliminated shortly after.