PCH Reopened Following Fatal Crash Involving Bruce Jenner In Malibu
MALIBU (CBSLA.com) — Pacific Coast Highway has been reopened in Malibu following a deadly four-vehicle crash involving Olympic gold medalist and TV reality star Bruce Jenner. The "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" mainstay was not hurt in the collision which killed a woman and injured several other motorists.
Jenner was being followed by paparazzi at the time, but they did not play a factor in the crash, said officials, adding that neither party was speeding.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, deputies were sent around 12:12 p.m. to Corral Canyon at the Pacific Coast Highway, for report of a traffic collision involving four vehicles.
"Bruce Jenner was in the third car, which was a [Cadillac] Escalade with a trailer behind it towing a Sandrail," said Sgt. Phillip Brooks of the Malibu Lost Hills Sheriff's Station.
Deputies said a white Lexus was one of two vehicles that stopped abruptly in front of Jenner. Skid marks reportedly reveal Jenner tried to stop before rear-ending the Lexus by chain reaction, pushing the vehicle into oncoming traffic.
The Lexus was then struck by a Hummer H2 at the scene and smashed to bits.
Authorities pronounced the elderly female driver of the Lexus dead at the scene. Her identity is being withheld pending family notification.
Seven other motorists were injured – an infant and two small children – were transported by paramedics to Santa Monica Hospital. Their conditions remain unknown at this time.
Jenner voluntarily performed a field sobriety test and passed, Brook said.
PCH was closed in both directions for more than nine hours, causing significant traffic delays in the area, while officials investigated what caused the collision. It has since been reopened.
A 44-year-old male driver careened through the sheriff's barricade at the crash site about 6:40 p.m. and plowed into the Lexus and Prius damaged earlier, Sgt. Matthew Dunn of the sheriff's Malibu-Lost Hills Station said. He was arrested on suspicion of DUI.
