POP STAR 'BRANDY' BEING SUED FOR 50 MILLION FOR HER FATAL CAR CRASH

Brandy is being sued for $50 million for her involvement in a fatal car crash.The wrongful death lawsuit, filed by the parents of Awatef Aboudihah who died in the crash, claims Brandy was "driving recklessly" when she hit their daughter's vehicle. A representative for Brandy said: "The accident was a terrible tragedy and Brandy's heart goes out to Awatef Aboudihaj's family. But for legal reasons we cannot comment on this lawsuit."The suit, which was filed in Los Angeles' Superior Court on January 30, comes a day after the California Highway Patrol recommended Brandy is charged with misdemeanour vehicular manslaughter. The Los Angeles City Attorney's office is reviewing the case and will decide whether to file the charge. If the 'Moesha' star is charged and subsequently found guilty, the 27-year-old could face a year in jail. On December 30 Brandy - real name Brandy Norwood - was driving on a Los Angeles freeway when traffic slowed and her car hit Aboudihah, 38. Aboudihah's car hit another vehicle, slid sideways into the central reservation and was hit by another car. Aboudihah, a married mother-of-one, died in hospital from blunt-force injuries. Brandy has reportedly hired crisis-management specialist Allan Mayer to salvage her reputation.

BRANDY MAY BE CHARGED WITH MANSLAUGHTER

Police recommended on Monday that singer-actress Brandy be charged with a single misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter for a fatal four-car crash triggered when her vehicle struck another car from behind. The California Highway Patrol found that the 27-year-old performer, whose full name is Brandy Norwood, was at fault in the December 30 accident for failing to prevent her Land Rover from hitting the car in front of her when freeway traffic suddenly slowed, CHP spokesman Leland Tang said. The driver whose car Brandy rear-ended, Awatef Aboudihaj, 38, a married mother of one, was killed when her vehicle slammed into a third car, careened into the freeway's center divider and was hit broad-side by a fourth automobile. Tang said the Highway Patrol referred the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office for further review with the recommendation that the former star of the TV comedy "Moesha" be cited with a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter. A misdemeanor offense, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine, is less serious than a felony charge and means that prosecutors determine that the death did not result from gross negligence, a spokesman for the city attorney said. Prosecutors could decide to charge Brandy as recommended, suggest that the District Attorney's Office file a more serious charge or dismiss the matter altogether. Investigators have ruled out alcohol and drugs as factors in the crash and there was no evidence that Brandy was using a cell phone or was otherwise distracted at the time of the crash. She was in her car alone, Tang said. Brandy told police at the scene she was driving about 65 mph (104 kph) just before the crash, which Tang said was at or below the posted speed limit. Bandy's publicist, who issued a statement last week on the singer's behalf expressing condolences to the victim's family, was not immediately available to comment on Monday's referral of the case to prosecutors. Brandy burst on the recording scene with her self-tilted debut album in 1994, launching such hits as "I Wanna Be Down," "Baby" and "Brokenhearted." Her fourth album, "Afrodisiac," was released in 2004. Last year, she served on the panel of judges for NBC's summer television show "America's Got Talent."

BRANDY INVOLVED IN FATAL CAR CRASH

Singer Brandy

Brandy was involved in a four-car freeway crash last month in which a 38-year-old woman was killed.The singer-and-actress was driving her 2007 Land Rover at 65 mph on Los Angeles 405 Freeway on December 30 when she struck a 2005 Toyota. The Toyota hit a third car and then the central divide, before colliding with a fourth car, according to a California Highway Patrol statement.The driver of the 2005 Toyota, 38-year-old married mother-of-one Awatef Aboudihaj, was taken to hospital but died the next day from her injuries. A man driving immediately behind Brandy told gossip website TMZ.com: "She got upset, talking about how it was all her fault she didn't stop, kept saying how she hit the lady."Brandy walked in front of traffic, crossing the lanes of speeding cars, then she did it again. People were honking at her to get out of the road. She was obviously disoriented and highly upset."The witness claimed he tried to calm down the 28-year-old star - full name Brandy Norwood - and advised her not to keep admitting guilt. He consoled her by repeating: "It was an accident."Brandy's publicist, Courtney Barnes, said: "Brandy was involved in a car accident December 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."Brandy was uninjured and was not arrested. Nor was there evidence of drugs or alcohol involved. Police are conducting a mechanical investigation of the vehicles involved in the crash to determine if there was a malfunction. Brandy's spokeswoman, Evette Fergerson, said: "Brandy's holding up the best that she can. It has taken a toll on her."