Bruce Jenner unhurt in fatal crash
— -- MALIBU, Calif. -- There's no indication Bruce Jenner was being chased by paparazzi who were nearby when the SUV he was driving became involved in a four-vehicle crash that killed a woman, authorities said Saturday.
The Kardashian family patriarch and Olympic gold medalist wasn't hurt, but seven people were taken to the hospital for evaluation after the crash that happened shortly after noon on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Philip Brooks.
The moment of impact was captured by celebrity photographers who quickly posted the images on the Internet, but Philips said there was no evidence Jenner was trying to get away from them.
"PCH is a straight road. There's no place to go to evade," Brooks said. "Being a celebrity, he's often followed by the paparazzi and he's aware of that. He was on his way home, and they happen to know his route."
Brooks said Jenner cooperated with investigators, passed a field sobriety test and voluntarily submitted a blood sample to determine whether he was intoxicated.
"He did not appear intoxicated or under the influence of anything at the time," Brooks said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials said investigators will likely seek cellphone records for all the drivers to determine if distracted driving played a role in the accident.
Jenner will provide his cellphone records if requested by investigators to help determine if he was texting while driving when he got into the crash, his publicist said.
Jenner was going north when his black Cadillac Escalade rear-ended a Lexus sedan that had just struck the back of a black Toyota Prius, Brooks said. The Lexus veered into oncoming traffic in a southbound lane and collided head-on with a black Hummer.
The driver of the Lexus -- Kim Howe 69, of Calabasas, California -- was pronounced dead at the scene.
In his first comments since Saturday's crash, Jenner called the accident "a devastating tragedy" and vowed to cooperate with investigators.
"My heartfelt and deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones, and to all of those who were involved or injured in this terrible accident,'' Jenner said in a statement Sunday evening. "It is a devastating tragedy I cannot pretend to imagine what this family is going through at this time. I am praying for them."
Photos of the crash site showed the white Lexus mangled in the front and back, facing the Hummer, which had a heavily damaged engine and its hood popped open. Jenner's Escalade, which was pulling an off-road vehicle, had a damaged front end.
The crash occurred about a mile west of Pepperdine University, on a stretch of road sandwiched between the beach and the Santa Monica Mountains.
Jenner, 65, won a gold medal in the men's decathlon at the 1976 Summer Games, but he is best known to a younger generation as Kim Kardashian's stepfather. He and Kris Jenner frequently appeared on the reality series "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" along with their children, and the pair's relationship and its troubles have been featured prominently on the show.
The two finalized their divorce late last year, ending 23 years of marriage.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
