NEW YORK —  "American Idol" (search) star Justin Guarini (search) has finally broken his silence over his Jet Ski mishap that almost injured a 5-year-old girl earlier this summer.

"I lost control of my Jet Ski, and it was an accident that anyone could have had," Guarini tells the latest issue of US Weekly. "There was a girl who was 15 feet away the whole time. I passed by her and her father was understandably upset. I apologized profusely, and that was the end of the situation."

Guarini was slapped with a summons for "unsafe boat operation" but says he was only fined "a couple of hundred bucks" for the incident, not "thousands of dollars worth of fines," as some reports stated.

The near-miss took place in early July at Joe Pool Lake, a popular summer spot in Cedar Hill, Texas, where Guarini, 24, was spending the day with friends, including "Idol" champ, Kelley Clarkson, 20.

At the time, the girl's father, Texas City Marshal Clint Heizer told The Post that Guarini lost control of the Jet Ski and ran the craft ashore. His daughter, Alison, was right in the pop-star wannabe's path.

Alison froze as Guarini jumped off the Jet Ski as it continued to skid at the girl and it continued to skid, stopping about 3 feet from her.