There’s no indication Bruce Jenner was being chased by paparazzi who were nearby when the SUV he was driving became involved in a four-vehicle crash that killed a woman, authorities said Saturday.
The Kardashian family patriarch and Olympic gold medalist wasn’t hurt, but seven people were taken to the hospital for evaluation after the crash that happened shortly after noon on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Philip Brooks.
The moment of impact was captured by celebrity photographers who quickly posted the images on the Internet, but Philips said there was no evidence Jenner was trying to get away from them.
“PCH is a straight road. There’s no place to go to evade,” Brooks said. “Being a celebrity, he’s often followed by the paparazzi and he’s aware of that. He was on his way home, and they happen to know his route.”
Brooks said Jenner cooperated with investigators, passed a field sobriety test and voluntarily submitted a blood sample to determine whether he was intoxicated.
“He did not appear intoxicated or under the influence of anything at the time,” Brooks said.
Jenner’s publicist, Alan Nierob, said Jenner wasn’t hurt, but he offered no additional details.
Jenner was going north when his black Cadillac Escalade rear-ended a Lexus sedan that had just struck the back of a black Toyota Prius, Brooks said. The Lexus veered into oncoming traffic in a southbound lane and collided head-on with a black Hummer.
The driver of the Lexus — a woman in her 70s — was pronounced dead at the scene.
Photos of the crash site showed the white Lexus mangled in the front and back, facing the Hummer, which had a heavily damaged engine and its hood popped open. Jenner’s Escalade, which was pulling an off-road vehicle, had a damaged front end.
The crash occurred about a mile west of Pepperdine University, on a stretch of road sandwiched between the beach and the Santa Monica Mountains.
It comes at a time of widespread talk that Jenner, 65, is becoming a woman.
Though Jenner himself has declined public comment, those in his inner circles have not challenged the mounting speculation that he is preparing to live as a woman and perhaps will appear in a new reality series about his transition.
Jenner’s appearance has gradually become more traditionally feminine, and his mother, Esther Jenner, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that she had spoken with her son about his private and public journey.
Jenner won a gold medal in the men’s decathlon at the 1976 Summer Games, but he is best known to a younger generation as Kim Kardashian’s stepfather. He and Kris Jenner frequently appeared on the reality series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” along with their children, and the pair’s relationship and its troubles have been featured prominently on the show.
The two finalized their divorce late last year, ending 23 years of marriage.
