A recent surveillance video which has surfaced may reveal that the fatal car crash involving former Olympic champion and realty-television celebrity Bruce Jenner could have actually been his fault.
Several weeks ago, Jenner was involved in a multi-car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, CA that killed a 69-year-old widow from Calabasas. According to police statements issued at the time of the accident, the driver of a Toyota Prius had either stopped or slowed down and was then hit from behind by a Lexus. Jenner, who was driving a Cadillac Escalade which was towing an off-road vehicle, then hit the Lexus from behind. The force of that hit sent the Lexus into oncoming traffic, where a Hummer H2 plowed into it. The driver of the Lexus was killed instantly. Several other people involved in the accident were taken to area hospitals after the crash; however, no other serious injuries were reported.
Police are now reporting that they have obtained surveillance video from an MTA bus which shows the entire tragic accident. Although police have yet to release the details of that tape, several media outlets are reporting that the tape shows that the Prius and Lexus were slowing down, almost to a stop, as they were approaching a red light. Those sources say the tape shows Jenner suddenly coming up to the stopped vehicles and slamming his brakes in an effort to stop. The Escalade instead plows into the Lexus and as that vehicle is pushed in front of the oncoming Hummer, the Escalade then hits the Prius.
There was some question of whether or not Jenner was texting at the time of the crash, but police say there is no evidence of that. Sources say the tape does show him holding a cigarette and being inattentive as his vehicle approaches the stopped traffic.
Although texting and driving is one of the most common causes of distracted driving accidents, there are other activities that fall under this umbrella – including eating, reading, talking on the phone, putting on makeup, and lighting a cigarette. These are all things that people do that can cause them to look away from the road for seconds. But as these accidents show, seconds is all it takes to kill someone.
If you have lost a loved one in a car crash caused by a distracted driver, contact a dedicated Virginia wrongful death attorney to find out what legal recourse you may have against the driver for your family’s losses.