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Mel Gibson plowed into a parked car in Malibu right after XMAS ... and he says the victim is now hounding him for thousands of dollars she doesn't deserve simply because he's a rich celebrity.

Our Malibu sources say Mel was driving somewhere near his home in the evening when he hit the parked car. We're told the damage was severe enough that he had to call someone to come over and extricate him from the vehicle. Once out, Mel left a note on the 13-year-old car with his contact info -- including his phone number -- and left.

We're told Mel's insurance company cut a check for the repairs, a rental car and other expenses and sent it to the other driver, but she started calling and texting him that she wanted more. Our Mel sources say she demanded more cash and a new car.

We're told the woman began contacting Mel incessantly, trying to squeeze him and he finally threatened to sic his lawyers on her for harassing him. On her part, the woman has threatened to sue him.

The matter has not been resolved.

"House of Style" host and "Las Vegas" star Molly Sims has just learned there's a string attached to hot chicks getting out of traffic tickets ... it doesn't apply when you're pregnant.

Molly got pulled over Thursday AM because she didn't have plates on her Beemer. She did something people generally don't do ... get out of the car and walk over to the cop. It looks like a model move, but you see Molly is expecting, wearing a house dress and, well, she got wrote up.

But Molly is no sore loser. Watch the video and see what she does to the cop.

The photographs taken immediately before and during the Bruce Jenner accident have triggered a new theory ... that the Lexus may not have hit the Prius in front of her, and that he may have struck both cars.

We have 9 photos taken by an independent photog -- not TMZ.

The key to the sequence is determining if the Lexus Bruce struck had first hit the Prius in front of her. If the Lexus driver was following too closely and struck the Prius first, Bruce would just be part of the chain reaction and prosecution would be unlikely.

Check out the pics closely

1. Bruce is cruising up Pacific Coast Highway. Cops believe he was within the 50 MPH speed limit.

2. Bruce passes a car. Notice the telephone pole.

3. The telephone pole is behind Bruce's trailer.

4. The car continues moving, and you see Bruce holding a cigarette, seemingly unaware traffic in front of him is either moving very slowly or stopped completely.

5. The Lexus comes into view. Law enforcement tells us they believe at around this time Bruce sees he's going too fast and slams on his brakes.

6. Bruce closes in on the Lexus, which is traveling in a straight line.

7. Bruce hits the Lexus. Upon impact you see the Lexus veer left. Cops say that's because Bruce veered right and struck the Lexus on the right, causing it to ricochet to the left.

8. You see the movement of the Lexus. You see just about half of the front of the car. Cops say because the car was in a straight line before Bruce hit it, if the Lexus had first hit the Prius there would have been roughly the same damage on the right and left front. But there's no evidence of damage.

9. The Lexus continues to veer left into oncoming traffic, where it was struck by the Hummer, killing the Lexus driver.

Law enforcement sources say one of the operating theories is that the Prius was stopped behind cars for the light which had turned green and traffic started moving slowly when Bruce hit the Lexus. When the Lexus cleared his lane the momentum kept his car going forward, crashing into the Prius.

There are witnesses who claim the Lexus struck the Prius first and witnesses vary in terms of how many collisions they heard.

The lawyer for the Prius driver tells TMZ ... there's an imprint of Bruce's license plate in the Prius. The problem with that claim -- check out Bruce's SUV before the crash ... NO FRONT LICENSE PLATE.

The cars are all in the Sheriff's Dept. impound lot.

If Bruce is the only one who struck both the Lexus and then the Prius, it would make prosecution for vehicular manslaughter more likely, if authorities determined he was following too closely.

6:15 AM PT -- The lawyer for the Prius driver just contacted us again, and now says the emblem on Bruce's SUV -- not the phantom license plate -- is imprinted in the back of the Prius.

Here's something you don't see every day ... a multi-billionaire hailing a cab.

Donald Sterling -- who recently sold the L.A. Clippers for $2 BILLION -- was out in Bev Hills Wednesday when he decided to catch a cab to go home.

Interesting, considering most billionaires in this city either drive themselves ... or use a private chauffeur ... or at least use Uber LUX if they're gonna hit the town.

But not Sterling ... who quietly got in the back seat and was quickly whisked away.

The people who called 911 immediately after Bruce Jenner's horrific car accident instantly recognized the magnitude of the accident, telling the dispatcher the Lexus was "destroyed."

As we reported, the driver of the Lexus was killed instantly after Bruce's SUV plowed into her car, sending it into oncoming traffic where it was struck by a Hummer.

The callers -- bystanders who happened to witness the crash -- are both fairly calm.

12:15 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us that Bruce had a blood alcohol level of 0.00 at the time of the accident.

Bruce Jenner had nothing in his system that impacted his ability to drive at the time he struck a Lexus on Pacific Coast Highway ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. has determined based on field sobriety tests, blood tests and observations that Bruce had nothing in his system that impaired his driving abilities.

As one law enforcement source put it, "He was balanced out. He wasn't under the influence. We know that."

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.

Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler is riding high right now ... 'cause the dude just got himself a brand new FREE TRUCK ... and it's all thanks to Tom Brady.

Of course, Brady got a Chevy Colorado for being named MVP of the Super Bowl -- but said he wanted to give it to Butler ... who made the game-saving interception.

Well, Chevy heard Brady loud and clear ... and instead of letting Tom part ways with his prize, they decided to hook Butler up too ... and Tuesday in Massachusetts, Butler finally got his ride!!

"I am ecstatic that Chevrolet has chosen to reward me with a Colorado. It is just another unreal event in what has been an incredible week."

Still no word on what Brady plans to do with his truck.

Bruce Jenner's taking extreme measures to stay out of the spotlight after the fatal car accident -- changing his car and his daily routine.

Bruce was on a coffee run in Malibu Tuesday ... when an independent photog peppered him with questions about the upcoming docuseries following his transition. For some reason, the pap didn't mention the car accident -- not that it mattered ... Bruce wasn't very talkative.

More interestingly, Bruce's new ride -- a Ford Fiesta. Our Jenner sources tell us Bruce decided to downscale (it's just a rental) from his high profile luxury rides, in an attempt to avoid cameras.

We're told he's also having assistants run more errands for him -- morning coffee aside, obviously.

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 has volunteered all of his cell phone info to the L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. to prove he was not texting at the time of Saturday's fatal car crash.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Jenner has authorized Sheriff's detectives to get all the necessary data from Jenner's cell phone carrier, thus making a search warrant unnecessary.

We're told Jenner's promise was verbal but the Dept. needs it in writing in order to gain access to the info.

As we reported, an independent photo agency was at the scene immediately before the crash and snapped a pic of Jenner holding a cigarette and not a cell phone.

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.”

Uber and Lyft may have some new competition in L.A., because Tyrese Gibson is gunning for their high-end clientele.

We're told Tyrese will begin renting out his chauffeured "Rolls-Royce" Ghost Sprinter van to people who want a taste of the celebrity life, with a full day starting at $1,500.

The car has already been the ride of choice for celebs like Floyd Mayweather, The Rock, R. Kelly and Sanaa Lathan.

You may recall ... Game and Tyrese once drove to Vegas in the van just to get pizza.

The whip's got several Apple TVs, a PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Mac Mini, custom Rolls rims and grill, crazy neon "Transformers" lights, a phone charger at each seat, Internet, and even a heated floor.

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.