On Thursday, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that it had concluded its investigation into the crash.
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The 65-year-old Olympic gold medallist was accused of causing a fatal four-car collision on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu after striking another vehicle in transit last February.
Investigators say that although Jenner was driving under the posted speed limit, she was going too fast for for the road conditions at the time. It will be up to the district attorney to file charges, if any.
Still, if prosecuted and convicted, Jenner could face a year in jail, fines, and loss of driving privileges. “Now, it would be a felony if the speeding was excessive, but in this case, it really wasn’t”, said attorney Dana Cole, a legal expert not involved in the Jenner case.
Jenner was not injured, but at the time it was unclear as to her level of responsibility in the fatal accident. Misdemeanor manslaughter usually carries a one-year jail sentence, according to Variety.
Shortly after the crash, Bruce Jenner issued a statement to express his regret at having been the cause of it and to send his condolences to the family of the driver who died.
At the time of the crash, a blue Prius slowed or stopped for unknown reasons and was hit by a white Lexus driven by Howe, Sheriff’s Department Sgt.
Jenner has called the crash a “devastating tragedy”, saying, “I can not pretend to imagine what this family is going through at this time”.
But it was through marriage to the former Kris Kardashian that Jenner once again became a household name with the reality TV series “Keeping Up with the Kardashians“, appearing as the sometimes bemused stepfather of her flamboyant daughters.
But Cait’s lawyer is pushing for the lawsuit to be thrown out, arguing neither stepchild depended on Howe and were actually estranged from Howe at the time of her death. The Lexus was pushed into traffic. I am praying for them.
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Vomhof said Jenner’s celebrity probably ensures that that the presentation detectives will make to prosecutors next week will be based on rock-solid evidence and an exhaustive investigation.
