An investigation has been opened in the deadly PCH crash on Saturday involving Bruce Jenner, and whether or not Jenner was using his* cell phone while driving has come into question.KTLA says the Sheriff's Department has opened a vehicular manslaughter investigation into the crash, but it will focus on every driver involved, not just Jenner. Photos published by TMZ from before and after Jenner crashed his car show him possibly texting while driving, but a close up shows that he may have been smoking a cigarette instead.
On Saturday, just after noon, Jenner's Cadillac Escalade rear-ended a white Lexus while driving north on PCH near Corral Canyon Road. The crash pushed the Lexus into the southbound lanes, where a Hummer going the other way hit it. The woman driving the Lexus, who has since been identified as 69-year old Kim Howe of Calabasas, was killed in the crash. According to ABC 7, the chain reaction crash started when a Prius going north stopped and the Lexus rear-ended it.
Sheriff's Department officials confirmed that paparazzi were following Jenner on PCH as he was driving, but say he was not trying to "evade" them and that they were not the cause of the crash. "As far as we know, they had nothing to do with the crash," Sergeant Phillip Brooks told ABC.
Around 6:40 p.m. Saturday evening, a drunk driver plowed through the crash site as investigators were still collecting evidence and hit the wrecked Lexus. A deputy told City News Service that no evidence was comprised as a result of the crash, and the 44-year old driver was arrested at the scene. PCH remained closed until 9:30 p.m. when authorities finally cleared the scene.
Jenner, a former Olympic champion and ex-husband of Kardashian mom Kris Jenner, has been in the news in recent weeks over his reported transition to live as a woman.
*Since Jenner has not publicly come out as a transgender woman, LAist is using the male pronoun to refer to him until we know for sure what he wants to be called.
