New information has surfaced surrounding the tragic death of Sophia Hutchins, longtime friend and manager of Caitlyn Jenner.
According to Sergeant Eduardo Saucedo of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Hutchins, 29, was driving an ATV at high speed when she rear-ended another vehicle and plunged 350 feet off a cliff in Malibu, California.
The fatal incident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, July 2.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Sgt. Saucedo - who is based at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station - explained that Hutchins was driving a 2013 Polaris ATV along Decker Canyon Road, not far from Jenner’s Malibu residence, when she struck a gray 2016 Mazda 6.
"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," Saucedo said, per Page Six. "It doesn't seem like she was following them. I think she just came up on them and then hit the car."
Initial reports from TMZ confirmed Hutchins was pronounced dead at the scene on July 2.
Sgt. Saucedo noted that Hutchins appeared to be attempting to pass the Mazda, which was being driven by a local realtor who had been in the area showing a house, but her speed made the maneuver unsuccessful.
"So it looked like she tried to maneuver 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," he told the Mail.
Both the driver and passenger in the Mazda escaped without injury. Jenner was present at the scene while deputies were conducting their investigation, Saucedo added.
Toxicology results will determine whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash. “We won’t know until the coroner’s office completes their report,” Saucedo said.
The sergeant also confirmed that a search and rescue team rappelled down the cliffside to retrieve Hutchins’ body, which was declared deceased at the location. The ATV remains at the bottom of the ravine as "the tow company didn’t have a line that was long enough to attach it and pull it up."
Hutchins had been a close associate of Jenner for years, serving as CEO and director of the Caitlyn Jenner Foundation. The two first met in 2015 following Jenner’s public transition and quickly developed a tight bond.
“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 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.”
Hutchins was born in Bellevue, Washington, in 1996 and earned her degree in economics and finance from Pepperdine University in 2019, Deadline details. She was also the founder and CEO of LUMASOL, a health technology company.
Our thoughts go out to her loved ones at this time.