Caitlyn Jenner’s car accident happened on February 7, 2015, when the Cadillac Escalade she was driving rear-ended a Lexus on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, pushing it into oncoming traffic and killing 69-year-old Kim Howe. The Los Angeles County District Attorney declined to file criminal charges, and Jenner resolved a series of civil lawsuits through settlements, the largest being $800,000 to a family injured in the same chain-reaction collision.1Variety. Caitlyn Jenner Manslaughter Car Crash Malibu2Good Morning America. Caitlyn Jenner to Pay $800,000 Settlement in 2015 Fatal Car Crash
How the Crash Happened
The collision took place in the 26000 block of Pacific Coast Highway. A Toyota Prius driven by Hollywood talent manager Jessica Steindorff had stopped in the northbound lanes. Kim Howe, driving a white Lexus, struck the rear of the Prius. Jenner, behind the wheel of a Cadillac Escalade towing an off-road vehicle on a trailer, then rear-ended the Lexus.3ABC7. Sheriff’s Dept. to Recommend Caitlyn Jenner Face Manslaughter Charge The impact pushed Howe’s Lexus across the center line into oncoming southbound traffic, where a Hummer H2 struck it head-on.4Los Angeles Times. Caitlyn Jenner Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit in PCH Crash
Howe was killed. Seven other people were injured. A 73-year-old woman sustained a fractured spine, and a one-month-old infant had a complaint of pain but no serious injury.5Los Angeles Times. Bruce Jenner Crash: Newborn, Woman Injured Peter Wolf-Millesi, driver of the Hummer, suffered serious wrist injuries, and his wife sustained blunt-force injuries requiring ongoing treatment.6NBC Los Angeles. Settlement Reached in Caitlyn Jenner Traffic Crash
The Criminal Investigation and Why Charges Were Declined
Jenner cooperated at the scene, taking a field sobriety test and providing a blood sample. Both came back clean, showing no alcohol or drugs.7New York Daily News. Bruce Jenner Had No Alcohol, No Drugs in His System at Time of Car Crash She told investigators paparazzi photographers had been following her but said she was not trying to evade them, and her attorneys confirmed she had not been texting.3ABC7. Sheriff’s Dept. to Recommend Caitlyn Jenner Face Manslaughter Charge
Investigators recovered event data recorder information from all four vehicles and the trailer, capturing speed, braking, and accelerator data for the five seconds before impact.8TMZ. Bruce Jenner Crash Black Box Car Accident In August 2015, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recommended a misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter charge, citing what investigators called an “unsafe speed” for road conditions.3ABC7. Sheriff’s Dept. to Recommend Caitlyn Jenner Face Manslaughter Charge
On September 30, 2015, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office announced it would not file charges. Prosecutors found Jenner had been traveling slightly below the posted speed limit and only minimally faster than Howe’s Lexus, and that she had engaged her brakes between 1.5 and 1.9 seconds before impact.1Variety. Caitlyn Jenner Manslaughter Car Crash Malibu The office concluded it could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that her conduct was unreasonable and said she had not violated any traffic laws. Ordinary negligence, the legal threshold for misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter under California law, could not be established.9CapRadio. Was Caitlyn Jenner Released by a District Attorney After Killing Someone Jenner’s attorney, Blair Berk, said the family was “heartened the district attorney has agreed that even a misdemeanor charge would be inappropriate.”10BBC. Caitlyn Jenner Not Charged Over Fatal Car Crash
The Civil Lawsuits and Settlements
The crash produced several civil actions in Los Angeles Superior Court that took roughly three years to resolve.
Wrongful Death Suit by Howe’s Stepchildren
In May 2015, Kim Howe’s stepchildren, William Howe and Dana Redmond, filed a wrongful death lawsuit alleging Jenner’s negligence caused Howe’s death. Jenner’s legal team moved to dismiss, arguing the adult stepchildren were financially independent and had not relied on Howe for the necessities of life, which they contended undermined the plaintiffs’ standing.11ABC News. Bruce Jenner Fires Back at Wrongful Death Lawsuit The case was dismissed on January 26, 2016, following a settlement. A source described the payout as a “very modest amount,” paid by Jenner’s insurance rather than from her personal funds, with questions about standing reportedly shaping the outcome.4Los Angeles Times. Caitlyn Jenner Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit in PCH Crash
Steindorff Lawsuit
Jessica Steindorff, the Prius driver, sued Jenner for personal injury and property damage, alleging that Jenner operated the Escalade negligently and struck Howe’s Lexus at a “high rate of speed.”12ABC7. Caitlyn Jenner Settles Lawsuit in Fatal Malibu Chain-Reaction Crash The suit was settled by December 31, 2015, with financial terms undisclosed. Reports indicated the settlement was also covered by Jenner’s insurance.13E! News. Caitlyn Jenner Settles Lawsuit With Prius Driver Involved in Fatal Car Crash
Wolf-Millesi Family $800,000 Settlement
The Wolf-Millesi family, occupants of the Hummer that struck Howe’s Lexus head-on, sued Jenner for negligence. Their case was the last to resolve. In January 2018, a settlement was reached for $800,000, plus medical expenses and attorneys’ fees. The funds were allocated as $500,000 to Elga Maurer (the mother of Lea Wolf-Millesi), $100,000 each to Peter and Lea Wolf-Millesi, and $50,000 each to their two young sons.2Good Morning America. Caitlyn Jenner to Pay $800,000 Settlement in 2015 Fatal Car Crash Spencer Lucas, attorney for the family, said the Wolf-Millesis were “happy to be moving on with their lives.”14ABC News. Caitlyn Jenner to Pay $800,000 Settlement in 2015 Fatal Car Crash
Jenner’s Cross-Complaint Against Paparazzi
In July 2016, Jenner filed a cross-complaint alleging that paparazzi contributed to the crash. The filing claimed photographers had been driving recklessly and tailgating her along PCH, leaving her “visually distracted” at a moment when “seconds and split seconds mattered.”15E! News. Caitlyn Jenner Blames Paparazzi for Fatal Car Accident, Sues for Alleged Stalking Jenner invoked California’s anti-paparazzi law and sought to have damages apportioned between herself and the photographers.16CBS News Los Angeles. Caitlyn Jenner Sues Paparazzi in Fatal Malibu Crash The cross-complaint was resolved as part of the confidential settlement that closed the remaining claims. Jenner’s attorney, Philip W. Boesch Jr., confirmed that “all claims and cross-complaints” had been settled and that “all parties are satisfied with the outcome.”14ABC News. Caitlyn Jenner to Pay $800,000 Settlement in 2015 Fatal Car Crash
The Crash in Jenner’s Political Career
The accident resurfaced in 2021 when Jenner ran as a Republican in the California gubernatorial recall election against Governor Gavin Newsom.17Politico. Caitlyn Jenner California Governor Run Opponents and journalists raised the fatal crash as a character question. Fact-checkers noted that while the sheriff’s department had recommended charges, the DA independently concluded the evidence did not support prosecution.9CapRadio. Was Caitlyn Jenner Released by a District Attorney After Killing Someone Jenner received about 1% of the vote in the September 2021 recall, which failed to remove Newsom.