Police say paparazzi not factor in Jenner car crash

Hours after Olympic champion and reality TV star Bruce Jenner was involved in a fatal car accident, authorities said there is no evidence he was being chased by photographers.

“As of right now, there is no indication that Bruce Jenner was being chased by paparazzi at the time of the crash,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. John Lecrivain said.

“There was a possibility that paparazzi was following him at the time of the crash, but that is a very regular occurrence, and (there is) no indication at this time it was a contributing factor of the crash.”

Jenner was driving a black Cadillac SUV on Saturday that was the third vehicle involved in a multiple read-end collision, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Philip Brooks said.

The first vehicle was a black Toyota Prius, CNN affiliate KCAL reported, citing deputies. Behind it was a white Lexus sedan that also hit its brakes.

Jenner’s Escalade was towing a trailer with an all-terrain vehicle on it when it ran into the Lexus from behind, Brooks said. The Lexus spun into oncoming traffic and was hit by a Hummer H2. The driver of the Lexus was killed.

No information about the deceased was immediately available. Jenner, 65, was not injured in the crash, publicist Alan Nierob said.

KCAL reported Jenner’s SUV left skid marks.

The wreck took place shortly after noon on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

The department later opened a vehicular manslaughter investigation, a source close to the case told CNN legal analyst Mark Geragos. The investigation will focus on everyone in the case, not just one person, the source said.

The sheriff’s department said on its Facebook page that the surviving drivers were cooperating with investigators.

A deputy said Jenner voluntarily took a field sobriety test, was questioned and went home.

Five children and two adults were hospitalized with injuries, authorities said.

The accident occurred on a tricky stretch of the highway, where the road is narrow and twisting.

In a bizarre twist to the story, a car later drove through safety barriers around the scene and struck two of the cars from the initial accident, Cmdr. Mike Parker of the sheriff’s department tweeted. The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, Parker wrote.

Jenner won the 1976 Olympic decathlon with a world record score for the 10-discipline event. He quickly capitalized on his success with Wheaties commercials, appearances and other ventures.

He became an actor, appearing in the drama “CHiPs” in 1981 and occasionally playing himself on shows such as “Silver Spoons.”

More recently, he has gained fame as a star on the reality TV show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which airs on the E! entertainment network.

E! said Jenner was not shooting for “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” on the day of the accident.