L.A. County sheriff’s detectives have completed their investigation into a fatal traffic collision involving Caitlyn Jenner, and they have recommended that a manslaughter charge be filed against the former Olympian, a department spokeswoman said Thursday.
The District Attorney’s Office would not comment about the case, but Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said Thursday that a possible manslaughter charge was recommended by investigators.
The Sheriff’s Department said it expected to submit its final report on the incident to the DA’s office by the end of the month. In it, investigators concluded “that speed was a factor, considering the existing traffic conditions.”
A final decision on what charges — if any — Jenner will face will be made by the DA’s office. Prosecutors could also return the case to the Sheriff’s Department for further investigation.
KTLA legal analyst and defense attorney Alison Triessl said a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge can be punished by up to one year in county jail. It can be difficult to prove driving at an unsafe speed for the road conditions, Triessl said.
“It’s not an easy case for the prosecutor,” Triessl said.
Jenner was driving one of four vehicles involved in the Feb. 7 crash on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu that resulted in the death of 69-year-old Kim Howe.
A case against another surviving driver who was not in possession of a valid driver’s license at the time of the crash was also expected to be presented, L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Detective Richard Curry said.
Five children and two adults were hospitalized after the crash, which occurred near Corral Canyon Road.
