New details emerge on Caitlyn Jenner's best friend Sophia Hutchins' fatal crash
Hutchins, who was the best friend of Caitlyn Jenner, died in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident on Wednesday, July 2, at the age of 29.
She collided with another car on a road near the former Kardashians star's home, causing her to fall into a '350 feet ravine', US outlets reported at the time.
New details have now emerged from the Daily Mail, with officers claiming Hutchins was speeding at the time of the crash.
'It looks like she may have been speeding and rear-ended the other car, the other party, and then that caused her to veer to the right and go off the cliff,' Sergeant Eduardo Saucedo told the outlet.
'It doesn't seem like she was following them. I think she just she came up on them and then hit the car,' the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department sergeant stated.
The two women in the grey Mazda, which Hutchins reportedly tried to manoeuvre around, were uninjured. One was reportedly a real estate agent showing homes in the local area.
Sgt. Saucedo added: 'So it looked like she tried to manoeuvre to go around it, but she was going too fast and just ended up clipping the rear end of that Mazda, causing her to veer off and go off the cliff there.'
Jenner allegedly came down to the scene, which occurred at 11.30am, a quarter of a mile south of her home on Decker Edison Road.
The I Am Cait star, who recently returned from Israel, is 'numb with shock' according to an insider who spoke to RadarOnline.com.
'She is absolutely devastated and can't believe what's happened. Sophia was a big part of her life.'
Jenner spent the Fourth of July holiday weekend away from the public eye, only leaving her home for a solo coffee run.
She has not given a public statement, beyond telling the Daily Mail she is struggling through 'tough times' surrounding the loss.
This isn't the first time Jenner's life has been impacted by a fatal car crash, as she previously rear-ended another car while driving her Cadillac Escalade.
In 2015, the I'm A Celebrity star was towing a trailer when traffic ahead of her slowed rapidly, resulting in her hitting a Lexus in a four-car crash.
Kimberly Howe, 70, died at the scene but prosecutors for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office did not press charges for vehicular manslaughter.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
At the time, they stated they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Jenner's actions were negligent or unreasonable as she had attempted to brake prior to the impact.
Jenner and Hutchins met in 2015 through their hairstylist when the former announced her transition and they have been by each others' side ever since.
Hutchins, who was the CEO of a now-defunct beauty brand, was just starting her own transition at the time they met and was thought to have been inspired by Jenner.
She was hired as the former Olympian's business manager, but their bond was deeper than that, as she appeared in multiple episodes of her E! reality series I Am Cait and became friends with the Jenner family.
The pair were rumoured to be romantically involved by both stated this was not the case More Trending
'We have so much in common; we see the world so similarly, and we both are such a good match for each other because we challenge each other,' Hutchins once said of their relationship in an interview with The Hidden Truth with Jim Breslo.
'She challenges me in so many ways, has allowed me to grow in so many ways, and I hope I challenge her to grow, and I think because we share so many of the same passions and views, it's just a great match, a great partnership.'
Metro has reached out to Jenner's team for comment.
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Good Charlotte frontman on being 'a little bit naïve' as rockers finally return with new music
MORE: Kelly Clarkson fans livid as she scraps opening Vegas residency show 90 minutes before start
MORE: Usher abruptly cancels 12 shows just weeks after announcing tour
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Sean Kingston sentencing postponed after guilty verdict in $1m wire fraud case
Rapper and singer Sean Kingston was supposed to be sentenced today after the Beautiful Girls singer was found guilty verdict of wire fraud with his mother Janice Turner Singer Sean Kingston has had his sentencing postponed after being found guilty of wire fraud earlier this year, along with his mother Janice Turner. The musician was supposed to find out his verdict today (July 11) but he'll now have to wait a little longer. Sean did not have a lawyer present and requested more time in order to find an attorney. The judge granted him his request and has scheduled a new court date for August 28, according to NCB 6 South Florida. The publication also stated that Sean thanked the judge and also spoke out on behalf of his mother, in order to give her more time to find a legal representative. Janice Turner's sentencing is currently scheduled for July 31. The case involved the pair falsely claiming to pay for luxury items, including cars, jewellery, and other high-value goods, by pretending to make bank transfers that were never processed. They managed to fraudulently acquire over $1 million worth of goods and money. The pair's trial took place from March 24 to March 28 in Broward County, Florida, and concluded with the jury deliberating for approximately three and a half hours before reaching their verdict, according to reports. They convicted them of conspiracy and multiple counts of wire fraud. The charges involved defrauding a car dealership out of $160,000 (£123,000) for a Cadillac Escalade, stealing nearly $500,000 (£386,000) worth of jewellery, and obtaining other goods like a custom bed valued at $86,000 (£66,000) without paying for them. Since the trial, the 35-year-old has been under house arrest with an electronic tag and had to pay a bond to be released from jail, while his mother Janice has remained in federal custody. This isn't the first time Sean or Janice have faced trouble with the law after she had previously been convicted of bank fraud back in 2006 and served almost 18 months in prison. Kingston was already on probation for a previous crime when he was arrested in this case. Sean rose to fame due to his 2007 debut single Beautiful Girls, which reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart at the time. He then went on to release a number of singles including Fire Burning, Eenie Meenie and Letting Go (Dutty Love), and has collaborated with artists including Justin Bieber, Soulja Boy and Sean Paul.
Telegraph
13 hours ago
- Telegraph
Prince Harry ordered to reveal any payments to witnesses in case against Daily Mail
The Duke of Sussex has been ordered to reveal to the High Court any 'payments or inducements' made in return for evidence in his claim against the Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers, the publisher that owns the Daily Mail, is accused of carrying out or commissioning unlawful activities such as hiring private investigators to place listening devices inside cars, 'blagging' private records, burglaries to order and accessing and recording private phone conversations. The publisher denies the allegations made by a group of high-profile public figures, including the Duke, Baroness Lawrence, Elizabeth Hurley, Sir Elton John, Sadie Frost and Sir Simon Hughes. Instead, they claim that incentives were 'offered or paid' by researchers working for the claimants' legal team, including a £5,000-a-month deal with a private investigator called Gavin Burrows. In a ruling handed down on Friday, Mr Justice Nicklin criticised the 'inconsistent and incoherent approach' made by the claimants to providing such evidence, declaring their explanations 'unconvincing'. He said there were 'serious questions to be answered' about the status of the claimants' research team, particularly the documents they held and whether there had been adequate disclosure. The judge ruled that the group should search for and hand over any documents that suggest that Mr Burrows, or any other potential witness, 'has skin in the game'. The trial is due to take place in January 2026. The judge's latest ruling follows a two-day case management hearing in May, during which Antony White KC, for Associated Newspapers, asked the court to order the claimants to 'search for and disclose any documents that relate to payments, royalties or inducements paid, provided or offered, or any demands or threats made, in order to obtain documents, information or other co-operation'. The barrister said a limited number of documents had been disclosed, which showed that 'payments were made or offered' to 'procure evidence and invoices'. Mr Justice Nicklin said he was satisfied that any documents suggesting witnesses had been paid or offered other inducements should be disclosed. 'That is because there is a real prospect that Associated will be able to rely upon this evidence to attack the credibility of such witnesses,' he added. 'Ultimately, the issue of whether the payment or inducement does affect the credibility of any witness is a matter to be resolved at trial. In this case, the stance adopted by the claimants has been undermined by their inconsistent and incoherent approach to disclosure of documents relating to payments to potential witnesses and/or other inducements.' The claimants were also ordered to conduct further searches for evidence relating to what has been described in court as their 'personal watershed moment' – when they became aware that they had a potential claim. The Duke of Sussex is said to have sent a text message to Baroness Lawrence alerting her that 'information' had come to light 'that she would want to know about', prompting her to join the legal action just a few months later. In a subsequent email sent by the Duke to Baroness Lawrence about the material his barrister, David Sherborne, had 'come across', he said 'he and one of his team would be keen to come and speak to you… in order to explain what this material shows and what your options are'. The Duke was told he had a potential claim by Mr Sherborne, to whom he was introduced by Sir Elton while on holiday at the singer's home in France. Associated Newspapers had sought information about such 'moments', including details of who had allegedly provided what information to whom and on what dates. 'Surprising' lack of documentation Mr Justice Nicklin said he found the lack of documentation on these pivotal moments 'surprising'. Such revelations would surely have prompted 'communications between trusted friends and family members; messages seeking advice or guidance, or expressing shock or outrage,' he said. The judge noted that a 'complete absence of corroborating documents' may be used to suggest these moments were not 'quite as shocking' as claimed. Meanwhile, the claimants' attempt to access broader call data and other information was refused by the judge, who described the requests as 'disproportionate or unfocused'. Broad allegations made about the alleged use of unlawful information gathering across all Mail titles over 25 years were also rejected. Mr Justice Nicklin warned that such allegations could not prove individual claims and that the court would 'tightly manage' the scope of the generic case to prevent the litigation from becoming 'a wide-ranging public inquiry'.
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
YouTuber Armon Wiggins regrets Diddy stunt
Content creator Armon Wiggins has apologized after footage showed him dancing shirtless and being sprayed with baby oil outside the courthouse following the Diddy trial verdict. In an interview with The Trial of Diddy podcast, the self-described 'independent media personality' insisted his actions were not in support of the disgraced rap mogul. Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 55, was convicted on Wednesday of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering. Wiggins told podcast host Kayla Brantley that he was 'misrepresented by the media', adding that fans of his reporting know he believes Diddy was fortunate to escape the most serious charges. 'In reporting the case, I was trying to take a very eerie, grim situation and turn it into something digestible for people', the YouTuber argued. 'I wasn't making light of the victims or poking fun at them. What ended up happening on the final day was that we were just having a good time. We had been there at the trial from start to finish – we were tired and wanted to celebrate making it to the end. 'I was just vibing with another YouTuber, to be honest with you, and before I knew it, there was a crowd of people with television cameras and lights that circled around me.' Wiggins claimed he didn't profit from the viral video and said his intention was to mock Diddy, not his victims. 'I got a lot of hate and lost followers', he said. 'I said to myself afterwards: I've got to grow up and learn to control the narrative because it was irresponsible. 'Even if my fans knew the intent behind it, that doesn't matter when you have 150 cameras out there in a heightened situation. You've got to be smarter than that. 'The amount of baby oil involved in the trial became ridiculous. You can't even say baby oil now without laughing. Really, I was making fun of Diddy – he came across as crazy. 'How many bottles of baby oil does one person need? 'In hindsight, I regret it for the simple fact that people were hurting, and it taught me never to be above reproach. 'If you make a mistake, you have to be humble enough to say, I didn't mean that and I apologize.'
