Jan 29, 2007 11:56 am US/Pacific
Brandy Could Be Charged With Manslaughter
Crash That Killed L.A. Mom Is Under Review By City Attorney's Office
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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TMZ reported last week that a car crash involving Brandy occurred at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2006, on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles. (File)
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for IMG
The California Highway Patrol recommended Monday that actress-singer Brandy be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in a freeway crash that killed a woman motorist last month, a city attorney's spokesman said.
The CHP referred the matter to the city attorney's office for review, said spokesman Nick Velasquez.
"The office is currently reviewing the case and determining whether the evidence warrants the filing of a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter," Velasquez said.
A message seeking comment from Brandy's publicist, Courtney Barnes, was not immediately returned.
TMZ reported last week that a car crash involving the R&B singer occurred at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2006, on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles. The report said that Brandy Norwood was driving her Land Rover at 65 mph and didn't realize that the cars in front of her were moving at a much slower rate.
TMZ reported that the singer's vehicle hit a 2005 Toyota, which then hit a 1989 Toyota. The 2005 Toyota slid sideways into the center divider and was hit by a 1988 Acura. The driver of the 2005 Toyota, Awatef Aboudihaj, 38, a Los Angeles mother of one, was taken to Holy Cross Hospital and died the next day.
Aboudihaj died at a hospital from blunt-force injuries, according to the coroner's office.
Brandy, whose real name is Brandy Norwood, was not injured or arrested, and there was no evidence of drug or alcohol use, the Web site reported.
In a statement sent to The ShowBuzz on Jan. 24, Brandy's representative, Courtney Barnes, said: "Brandy was involved in a car accident Dec. 30, 2006, in Los Angeles where there was a fatality. She wishes to publicly express her condolences to the family of the deceased. Brandy asks that you respect the privacy of everyone involved at this time."
When asked why the public hadn't heard about the accident until nearly a month after it happened, a rep for Brandy said that her agency didn't know about it until today and called the accident "quite devastating."
Brandy, who earned a Grammy in 1999, has made five albums. She began her recording career at 14 and acted for film and television, starring on the sitcom "Moesha" from 1996-2001 and most recently as a judge for NBC's "America's Got Talent."
(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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