Caitlyn Jenner may be gaining popularity, thanks to her show I Am Cait, but that isn’t deterring law enforcement from continuing to investigate and possibly now charge the former Olympian with manslaughter for the deadly chain-reaction crash she was involved in back in February.
The Los Angeles County sheriff’s detectives are expected to present evidence later next week, which could lead to a misdemeanor manslaughter charge. Prosecutors will then review the case and decide if they will formally charge Jenner.
Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department say that Jenner was not driving over the speed limit, but was driving “at an unsafe speed for the road conditions that day.”
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Cellphone records clear everyone involved of being on their devices at the time of the crash.
California law states that you commit vehicular manslaughter when and if “as a result of your negligent act, someone is killed.” If convicted of this crime, Jenner could spend up to a year in prison.
But in the evidence law enforcement states they will present, Jenner was neither distractedly driving (i.e. talking on her phone) or speeding.
As for road conditions, there don’t seem to be any reports specifically stating the conditions of that day. What we do have access to are copious amounts of photographic evidence, as well as video evidence from the crash and, on that day, it appears that there was no rain, fog or any other travel-impeding road condition.
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Now, it is a terrible tragedy that a woman, Kimberly Howe, lost her life in this accident. But from what the evidence shows, it is just that: a tragic accident.
It appears that we aren’t the only ones baffled by these possible charges, either. Commenters across the Internet are scratching their heads wondering why they are continuing what they are now calling a “witch hunt.”
“Sounds like a witch hunt to me. She’s a celeb so let’s sue… the quote about her not speeding but traveling unsafe due to road condition… was it a construction zone, was there slick on the road, what? This sounds like a tragic accident to me,” noted one commenter.
Another commenter said, “I am neutral on Caitlyn Jenner but it seems to me that she isn’t at fault for any of this, she wasn’t breaking the speed limit and Steindorff pushed this persons care into oncoming traffic and she got T-boned, which tends to happen when you get pushed into the middle of oncoming traffic. It seems like a tragic accident, why do we love throwing people in jail in this country [sic]?”
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A third person echoes the others, saying, “So, if Steindorff is the reason for the entire accident to begin with, why isn’t SHE being charged with vehicular manslaughter??? She stopped suddenly, slowed down, causing Howe to hit her, then Jenner to hit her in turn.”
With the evidence being presented, it appears unfair to claim that Jenner was responsible, but usually, although not 100 percent of the time, the person “in the back” is at fault for any number of reasons.
Other unsafe driving conditions besides speeding include failing to pay attention to the road, failing to stop within reasonable time and failing to maintain control of your vehicle.
So, while the waters are murky, it doesn’t appear to be a witch hunt, as some have claimed, but it does seem like a stretch given the evidence currently available.
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