Paparazzi Photo

A video has surfaced of the fatal car accident involving Bruce Jenner -- a video taken seconds after impact -- and we've learned it could become a critical piece of evidence for law enforcement investigating the accident.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. just obtained the video, which shows the immediate aftermath of the crash. Most important, it shows people who witnessed the chain of events that led to the Lexus Bruce hit veering into oncoming traffic and killing the driver.

We're told Sheriff's detectives are on the hunt for the people in the video because, among other things, they might have seen the Prius that was hit by the Lexus. Cops want to know if the Prius was stopped behind a long line of cars waiting for the light to turn green, or whether it illegally stopped for some other purpose.

We're told the actions of the Prius and Lexus drivers could have a significant impact on Bruce's culpability for the fatal crash.

And we're told the video shows Bruce was NOT being chased by paparazzi ... something Jenner family sources told us the day of the crash.

Bruce Jenner's fate could be determined in part by a metal box embedded in the twisted metal that was left on Pacific Coast Highway ... TMZ has learned.

We've learned the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. is in possession of all 4 vehicles and the trailer that was attached to Bruce's Escalade. We're told Bruce's Escalade has a sophisticated "Black Box" that contains critical data ... including speed and braking info. The other 3 vehicles have similar data.

We're told the boxes gauge what the driver was doing for the 5 seconds before impact. In one-second intervals, the boxes show speed, braking, the position of the accelerator, etc.

We're told accident reconstruction experts can use the data from all 4 vehicles and determine the speed and distance between each of them. That could help determine with some precision if Jenner was following too closely behind the Lexus.

Many of the "Black Boxes" are activated by the airbag, but we're told even if the airbag does not deploy the information is still available.

As we reported, once the investigation is complete the Sheriff's Dept. will send the file over to the L.A. County D.A. for review -- which is SOP when someone dies in a car crash. If Bruce was following too closely, prosecutors could charge him with vehicular manslaughter, however we're told such prosecutions -- when the offense is following too closely -- are "very rare."

Bruce Jenner has lawyered up in the wake of Saturday's fatal car crash, in an investigation that will make its way to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office ... TMZ has learned.

Bruce was leaving the West Hollywood law offices of Blair Berk, a top criminal defense lawyer who has repped an untold number of celebs.

We've learned once the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. finishes its investigation, they will send the case to the L.A. County D.A. for review. A law enforcement source says it's SOP to refer such a case to prosecutors when a driver breaks the law and someone dies.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... they now believe Bruce was not texting and driving. But cops think Bruce was following too closely which is a traffic violation, and such a violation that results in the death of another motorist could theoretically be grounds for misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter.

Bruce Jenner may not be the driver who caused a woman to die on PCH Saturday ... because law enforcement tells TMZ they now believe the Prius that led the pack made a sudden stop, causing the Lexus to crash into it ... BEFORE Bruce hit the Lexus.

As TMZ first reported ... Sheriff's deputies were suspicious of the story the Prius driver told. She said she was stopped at a red light, but she was 300 feet from the light. When cops asked her if there was a line of cars in front of her she was vague. Deputies think she might have been making an illegal U-turn.

So the current scenario is this ... the Prius came to a sudden, possibly illegal stop on the highway. The Lexus hit the Prius and then Bruce slammed on his brakes, swerved right but was unable to stop, slamming into the Lexus. The Lexus then went into oncoming traffic and hit the Hummer, killing the Lexus driver.

It appears there is no criminal liability on Bruce's part. As for civil liability, there is a law that you cannot follow too close and need to prepare for sudden events. But if the Prius stopped without warning ... that driver could be at the very least partly responsible for the accident.

6:00 PM PST -- Jenner released a statement about the crash saying, "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."

Bruce adds, "It is a devastating tragedy and I cannot pretend to imagine what this family is going through at this time. I am praying for them. I will continue to cooperate in every way possible.”

Tyler Perry arrived to the hospital Sunday where Bobbi Kristina is currently on life support.

As we previously reported ... Bobby Brown hitched a ride with Perry on his private jet to Atlanta when the news broke and they both rushed to her bedside after landing.

Bobbi Kristina was transferred to Emory University Hospital Tuesday and Brown remains hopeful that his daughter will pull out of this by miracle of prayer. As we previously reported, doctors have already said there's nothing more they can do.

Bruce Jenner will not get in trouble with the law as a result of his deadly car crash ... at least that's the way it appears based on a new photo.

The picture was taken by an independent photo agency just before Bruce slammed into a Lexus Saturday on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, sending that driver into oncoming traffic where she was killed after colliding with a Hummer.

It was unclear what, if anything, Bruce was holding in his left hand seconds before the crash. But the new photo shows Bruce clutching a cigarette, not a cell phone. The photo (above) is the first in a sequence shot by the agency, just before the Lexus comes into frame.

TMZ broke the story, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department was getting a search warrant to determine if Bruce was texting at the time of the collision ... but this picture would seem to make that unnecessary.

It's illegal to text while driving and motorists who do can be prosecuted for vehicular manslaughter if someone dies as a result.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. will get a search warrant to determine if Bruce Jenner was texting at the time he slammed into a car, causing the driver to die ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, they will get warrants for both Bruce's phone records and the cellphone itself. It's illegal to text while driving in California and if Bruce was texting Saturday when he struck a car on PCH in Malibu, authorities could charge him with vehicular manslaughter.

The photos we posted showing Bruce in the car immediately before impact do not reveal what if anything he's holding. It appears he might be clutching something in his left hand but it's unclear.

Even if he was texting, our sources say proving he was doing it at exactly the moment of the crash could be difficult or even impossible.

Our law enforcement sources also tell us they're positive Bruce tried to avoid the accident. The tires on his trailer produced significant skid marks and at the last minute Bruce veered to the right, causing the Lexus to swing left into oncoming traffic. A Hummer struck the Lexus, killing the Lexus driver.

We're told cops are skeptical about the story of the Prius driver, who was hit from the rear by the Lexus in the chain reaction. The Prius driver says she was stopped at a red light, but she was about 300 feet from the light itself. Cops don't know if there was a long line of cars in front of her or if she stopped before the light to make an illegal U-turn. They tell us her story is "vague."

We're told cops didn't check Bruce's phone at the accident scene. As one law enforcement source put it, "We were more interested in his sobriety." Bruce passed the sobriety test.

3:45 PM PT Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Bruce volunteered to go to the hospital to have his blood drawn for blood alcohol testing. He was taken in a Sheriff's cruiser. We've also learned the woman who was killed in the white car was coming to a stop at a red light when Bruce hit her. We're told law enforcement has already determined Bruce was not speeding.

And we're told there was a 4th car involved in the accident. The woman in the white car hit a Prius in front of her before moving into oncoming traffic.

Bruce Jenner was involved in a horrific car accident on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu at around noon Saturday, one person is dead, and it looks like Bruce caused the accident ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... there were 4 vehicles involved in the crash. We're told there were 8 people involved and all sustained some sort of injury ... but one person died at the scene.

Eyewitnesses say Bruce rear ended the white car and that car went into oncoming traffic and was struck by the Hummer. You can see the impact in the pics below. The woman driving the white car died.

One law enforcement source said Bruce seems to be ok, but again, we're told the 7 survivors sustained some injuries, ranging from minor to moderate.

Jenner family sources tell TMZ Bruce was being chased by as many as 5 paparazzi at the time of the crash. Bruce told cops he wasn't drinking and passed a field sobriety test.

We're told Bruce had picked up his Polaris UTV after loaning it to a wounded veterans group.

Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart very quietly hooked up Thursday night, leading to the obvious question ...

Here's how it went down. Casper was out at the Z Zegna & GQ event in Hollywood where he hung out with Nick Jonas.

There are plenty of pics of Casper leaving the event with no sign of JLo. But we're told she was actually waiting in the car for him as he left.

They went to Hotel Cafe in Hollywood where this pic was snapped. It's the only pic of the 2 of them that was taken the entire evening.

They supposedly broke up in April, but they've been seen together from time to time, and they've taken great pains to avoid pics. Remember when she ducked down in her car?

And you may recall Casper's dog was at JLo's house recently when the dog bit someone.

Bruce Jenner -- who has been married three times and produced 6 children -- could become attracted to men after a powerful element of his transition into a woman takes hold ... this according to medical experts and members of the transgender community.

TMZ has spent several days surveying medical experts, who tell us Bruce is in the middle of Cross-sex Hormone Therapy, which involves heavy doses of estrogen.

The estrogen drives down levels of testosterone and the brain "feminizes" -- in the vernacular, he begins to "think like a woman."

Several prominent doctors in the field tell us, the hormones often change sexual preference. These doctors say in cases where sexual preferences change from women to men, the patient often had suppressed feelings before the transition and the estrogen allows their true feelings to surface.

One leader in the transgender community tells TMZ ... she says based on 300 transsexuals in various countries, 1/3 of them retained their sexual preference, 1/3 identified themselves as bisexual and 1/3 changed sexual preference.

As for Bruce ... we're told he's in a transformative stage, where his skin will change, and his breasts will grow and his voice will become more feminine. The changes are enhanced by procedures Bruce has already completed, including Botox, facial laser hair removal and several other surgeries, including his laryngeal shave.

11:45 AM PT -- There are reports that Bobbi Kristina was taken off life support ... but TMZ has been told by sources close to the family that these claims are absolutely false.

We are also told that Bobbi Kristina's grandmother Cissy has still not seen her but plans are in place to get her to Emory University Hospital as soon as possible.

There's nothing more doctors can do for Bobbi Kristina -- and they've told Bobby Brown it's time to withdraw life support ... TMZ has learned.

Family sources tell us the decision is now in Brown's hands -- but we're told he's refusing to make the painful choice today, and instead wants to wait until after the weekend.

The timing could not have been worse. Today is Bobby Brown's birthday.

We're told Brown has been hopeful his daughter can beat the odds because someone in his extended family battled out of a coma after 8 days.

Bobbi Kristina was moved to Emory University Hospital Tuesday because the facility has a world class neurological department, but it appears doctors have determined there's no hope.

Bobbi Kristina has been in a medically-induced coma since Saturday, when she was found face down in her bathtub.

Bobby Brown is in emotional turmoil ... as he deals with the prospect of losing a daughter, he celebrates something that he's telling his grieving family ... his wife is pregnant.

We've learned Bobby's wife, Alicia Etheredge, is 4 months pregnant ... something he hasn't shared with many of his relatives. The timing is awful, but it can't be hidden as they sit in hospital waiting rooms.

We're told Bobby and Alicia have shared the happy news as they sit vigil for Bobbi Kristina, whose brain function has perilously diminished.

There's lots of stress ... as we reported there's a feud brewing between Bobby's family and Whitney's. But we're told so far Alicia is handling it well.

Tough situation ...

Bruce Jenner's family is now regularly leaking out stories that have been obvious to all for quite some time ... that the Jenner patriarch is becoming a woman.

The latest leak is to "People," quoting a family source that Bruce is making the change. As we reported more than a year ago, Bruce underwent an operation called a laryngal shave, to smooth out his Adam's Apple, and at the time our sources were clear ... it was, as one put it, "one of the first steps."

We spoke to Bruce at the time and he said he was "absolutely not" transitioning, but the denial was part of his plan to make the change gradually, which he has done over the last year, to the point it simply became obvious and an announcement became almost irrelevant. But his decision to transition had been firmly made months before.

Our sources say Bruce is now far along in the process, has undergone various procedures and psychological counseling, and is ready to show his journey to the world. Our sources say it's so far along his docuseries will air as early as May.

People is reporting his family is supportive but not all family members are on board 100%. As we told you, the family filmed Bruce's formal announcement to them last month and during the conversation Kris freaked out. The other kids -- the boys and the girls -- have been more supportive, especially the older ones.

A leader in the transgender community tells TMZ they've known for "way more than a year" Bruce was doing this and some felt he should have announced it when he had the laryngal shave. But we're told Bruce decided a gradual transition followed by a revelation would be better for him and his family.

Kim Kardashian's made her share of wrong turns (we're looking at you Kris Humphries), but the latest got her in trouble with cops ... temporarily, anyway.

Kim got pulled over for making an illegal U-turn in Calabasas on Tuesday ... as she was leaving Kourtney's house.

But our Kardashian sources say Kim pulled off a chick special -- meaning she managed to talk her way out of the ticket. We don't know what Kim was wearing when the cop walked up to her SUV -- besides a smile -- but it worked ... for her.

Warning: Results will vary if you try this at home.

Chris Martin allegedly hit a photog with his jeep as he left a fancy Santa Monica restaurant, but there's something really odd about this one.

Chris and Gwyneth Paltrow went to Giorgio Baldi Restaurant with their 2 kids and all was fine, but on the way out a photog runs up to take their photo and says he was struck by their jeep. An ambulance was called and the pap was taken to the hospital.

Here's the weird thing. The photog who took pics of the accident was standing across the street. It's unclear why a cameraman would be so far away, because there was a clear shot of the family from the restaurant side ... right on the sidewalk. In fact, 3 other photogs were perched right there.

We've never seen a photog take pics from across that street ... so, as we said, it's weird he's the one who got shots of the accident. Also, he and the guy who allegedly got hit have worked together.

Johnny Depp put hundreds of screaming mustached women on their knees ... just by showing up.

No, it's not a kinky Hollywood sex party ... hundreds of excited Japanese fans greeted Depp and fiancee Amber Heard at the Haneda International Airport in Tokyo Monday morning after arriving in town to promote his latest film, "Mortdecai."

The screaming fans let him know how glad they were to see him by sporting the same mustache he dons in the film ... but turns out they were just as pumped for him as they were for Heard.

The two did their duty by signing a few autographs, leaving dozens in happy tears.

Check out the trailer ... maybe they should save a few for the movie.