No charges over Brandy car crash

Police in Los Angeles said there was "insufficient evidence" for a jury to find the 28-year-old actress-singer guilty of vehicular manslaughter.

The star, whose hits include The Boy Is Mine and Full Moon, would have faced up to a year in jail if found guilty.

The family of a 38-year-old woman killed in the car crash are suing the performer for $50m (£25m).

The wrongful death legal action, filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that Awatef Aboudihaj's death was caused by the singer's "reckless driving".

The California Highway Patrol has said the crash happened when Brandy hit the back of Ms Aboudihaj's car when traffic suddenly slowed.

Ms Aboudihaj's vehicle went into a third car and careered into the centre of the road, where it was hit by a fourth vehicle. The waitress died in hospital.

'Extraordinarily hard'

In January, the California Highway Patrol recommended the vehicular manslaughter charge, which carries a maximum of one year in jail and a fine of $1,000 (£500).

But after investigating the crash with "some of the top accident reconstruction experts in the country", prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence for a jury to find the R&B star guilty, said Los Angeles City Attorney's spokesman, Frank Mateljan.

Investigators ruled out alcohol and drugs as factors in the crash and say there was no evidence that Brandy, who was alone in her car, was using a phone.

A lawyer for Brandy said she was "extremely pleased" that she would not be charged.

"These past twelve months have been extraordinarily hard for Brandy and her family," said Blair Berk.

In addition to her Grammy award-winning recording career, Brandy has starred in the US sitcom Moesha and appeared as a judge on Simon Cowell's America's Got Talent.

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