For everyone insisting that Brandy should not serve time or it is not her fault because "it was an accident" - put yourself in the position of the family of the person that died in this accident. Would you have the same sentiments? I don't think so. Bottomline is, somebody died and the person responsible needs to pay the price...celebrity or non celebrity. People cannot get away with crime by just saying that it was an accident. A life was taken away for goodness sakes, saying oopsies will not bring that person's life back. Accidents do happen everyday but when someone gets really hurt or when somebody dies then somebody's gotta take accountability for it. She should serve time and pay the price. If I shot soembody on accident, can I get away with it by saying I didn't know it had bullets? Think about it people.

Like most everyone else I feel sorry for everyone involved in this situation. I couldnt imagine the guilt I would feel if I were Brandy. Although I feel that she should be held responsible Brandy should not be taken advantage of because of her status. If she were an average joe wouldnt her auto insurance handle the monetary issues. I dont think that it is right for her to be sued for such a grand amount of money. This it just the type of workd we live in. Everyone is out to make a profit. 50 million dollars will not bring that poor woman back and what will the family do with that much money.

i fell very sorry for brandy my pryers are with her and what she is going through she is a very sweet person and thy should be easy on her she wasnt on drugs or drinking and i fell becouse she is a famous person this is why there coming down on her more just to make her look bad i am sorry for the family and god has his way of asking for his children now she is in a better place blessing to brandy and the family for there lost

I agree with Jewel's statement. Brandy may have wealth and be very fortunate. I dont see her trying to get out of anything because she knows she was in the wrong along with all the millions of drivers out there that get into car accidents. But the fact is $50 million for a death of a person. That is very outrageous. If it was some non celebrity those people would probably not sue them for such a ridiculous amount. Most people are just suing to get something for nothing. They did lose a daughter but come on be reasonable. Money isnt going to bring this dead girl back and I highly doubt its gonna make them any happier with it. If it does then they really dont deserve it cause they are just sick people then. I just believe this country has gone to h*** with sue happy people.

If I haddone this horrible act, I would be charged. I have never been arrested or jailed for any reason and I am 63.

Hello people. Listen to yourselves. This accident could've happened to you. Is anyone paying attention to the road 100% of the time? No. Brandy did not mean to hit the woman, and although it is very tragic, you cannot blame her for everything. It was fate. The Toyota could've not hit the center divider and it could've not been struck by the Acura. It's sad that people blame celebrities more than anyone else. Brandy was not a crackpot, was not yakking on her phone, not drunk or smoking...She probably just had a lapse in judgment.And like Jenna and Jewel, I am deeply sorry, but the price for the accident is ridiculous. The family is taking advantage that Brandy is a big-time celebrity with millions rather than treating this as it would have been if an average joe killed his daughter. Don't dwell on the past. I pray for those who died.

I drive a Miata, and I've been rearended 4 times. The first time I was the front of a 4-car pile up, I was stopped on the 405 Southbound at / about Carson, CA, and I just felt 2 thuds one after the other. The second time, I was stopped at a red light, and a teenager on a Suburban slipped towards me, and tapped my rear bumper. The third time, I was stopped at a red light, and as the light turned green, I felt a thud behind me and saw this massive Ford 250 (the driver said he didn't see me and I was right in front of him). The fourth time, I was stopped again at a red light, and this time it was a much stronger impact when a Ford Excursion couldn't stop in time and hit me. My family owns a Dodge Ram 1500 and I can truly understand the power of these huge trucks. But being the owner of a small car, I can certainly appreciate auto drivers when I am driving the truck. I do not cut them off, and I give enough distance between myself and the car ahead of me, with my speed always variable and dependent on current traffic conditions. I can go to 80mph on the fast lane when it's safe for me, but I refuse to go fast when cars ahead of me are going slower or if I see brake lights on the horizon. It's not being wimpy. It's being cautious, it's my desire to live my life and not be another statistic. I just hope that other people pay attention to traffic conditions, and have road etiquette and respect for the other denizens on the road. Brandy was driving a Land Cruiser. A little distraction, and if traffic ahead slows down in that same split second she was distracted, one could only hope there was sufficient distance for her and the car ahead of her to avoid impact. It's a tragedy.

You can't compare a car accident where no drugs, alcahol, or a cell phone were involved to shooting someone. Who would think that. And whoever thinks that someone would get 30 years for a accident such as this one is wrong. I've heard other accidents similar to this one that have not gotten national attention. It's definitely crazy for her to be facing two law suits. I pray that everything works out fairly. She didn't intentionally set out to cause an accident and she shouldn't dare face any jail time. They shouldn't use her as an example just because she's a celeb. Brandy has worked hard through music, t.v and moveis and shouldn't lose it all because of an accident. If the shoe was on the other foot and a celeb was seriously injured what would their family sue for? What if the person had nothing to give, what then? People are seriously trippin with their judgements thinking that this doesn't happen to everyday people. I have been hit and been an at fault driver, accidents do happen.

Aboudihaj family should be ashamed of themselves for measuring their mothers life with such a ridicuolus amount money. They are only trying to take advantage of Brandy. If Brandy was an average Joe...they wouldnt ask for this outrageous amount because not everyone has this amount of money. It's wrong to be so selfish.

There are no "Hondas" in those photos. The black car is a Toyota Corolla, and the two-tone grey car is an old Acura Legend. Also, why don't we see Brandy's SUV anywhere? I wish news reporters could get SOMETHING right.

The first chick that commented on here (dfluff62, Los Angeles, Ca) sounds as if she has personal issues with Brandy with her name calling and her lack of intelligence. Please understand the term accident and what an accident is even though it took a life in this case. Before judgments can and should be made one should have a little more first hand incite...other than that people start to sound closed minded and not worth hearing.

The fact that the CHP recommended to the district attorney that charges be filed show that they found something to make them believe that she was not driving approprietly. I don't think that she should get harsh punishment just because she is a celebrity and to make a point, but at the same time if she did something; which the police obviously feel she did she should be charged. The CHP, like all highway patrols, literally see dozens of accidents everyday and tens of thousands of people are killed on the highways and the highway patrol does a full investigation. The fact that a celebrity was involved means they probally looked at this accident harder than most and they feel that she was neglectful.

Further proof that petite divas should never be given keys to huge, $100,000 Range Rovers. Britney Spears can't even park hers. A knuklehead bodyguard has to do it for her. For the safety of the planet, they should all be made to take taxis.

Rowan...the accident was ultimately Brandy's fault. When the car went over the divider it was hit by another car that did not see it coming. The last person to hit the car was absolutely helpless in that situation because they did not anticipate and had nowhere to go. Should they have swerved lanes, they probably would have ran into another car. You imagine being on your side of the road when another car comes out of nowhere. What would you do in less than 3 seconds? I feel very sorry for Brandy and would never want to be in her situation but she was the starting point for the accident. It was her fault.

Brandy is skinny but she's 5'6 or 5'7. Guss what you've said is completely ignorant.

My wife was killed in a car accident on Jan.2. I am living this nightmare every day. After reading some of the comments posted I feel compelled to shed some insight. #1 Darnell(New York,NY)asks us to understand the term accident and what an accident is. I agree even though he does not seem to understand. An accident as defined by Merriam-Webster: 1 a : an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance 2 a : an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance b : an unexpected and medically important bodily event especially when injurious c : an unexpected happening causing loss or injury which is not due to any fault or misconduct on the part of the person injured but for which legal relief may be sought. The last time I checked ignorance is not a legal defence. Just because this was an "accident" does not preclude her from responsibility. We all know that there was no intent on Brandys part to cause the wreck; if there was then she could be charged with murder. It is the States job to decide if her actions were criminal or not. The fact that she is a celeb has nothing to do with the fact that the State has yet to file charges. Believe me when I tell you (as I am going thru this this very second) that this is not a speedy process. Accident reconstruction is a science that takes longer than an hour episode of CSI to conclude. The State Attorney will decide, not the CHP, if criminal charges will be filed. This leads me to #2 Most people know, but apperently not all, that there is civil court and criminal court. Anyone who knows anything about the O.J. saga knows the difference. To say that Brandy does not deserve all those law suits is correct because there is only one suit, the civil suit. In Criminal Court one faces charges by the State i.e. vehicular manslaghter, wreckless endangerment, etc., suits are filed in civil court by family or on behalf of the estate of the deceased. Neither is dependent upon the other so it is possible and probable to be charged and sued. Next#3: On the gun analogy. Anyone who doesnt think that a car/truck can be the equivalent to a loaded gun both legally and in life are nieve. Imagine your car is a bullet and you happen to be in control of that bullet. No one forced you to get behind the wheel of that bullet. If you intentionaly fire that bullet at someone or unintentionaly the bullet is nonetheless fired. The difference is murder vs manslaughter/self defence. #4:50 million dollars America, are you a good American? I just cant believe some of you out there so high and mighty on your so called moral ground. Lets seperate ignorance from fact for a moment shall we. People throughout time have given up much including there lives to establish and then defend our rights in this country. Remember a little thing called the Civil Rights movement or some guy named Martin Luther King. Dont blame the family of the vitim for slapping a $50 million law suit. No one will disagree that that is alot of money but what other recourse do they have? Maybe you would have felt better if they had sued for $5 or lets say $13,500? People say you cant put a price on life. So is that to say that the life that was taken that day had no value? I think not. What value then, 50 cents 50 million? Who is to say? To call them greedy or gold diggers or to say that this is morally wrong is just stupid and shows a lack of intelligence. CERTAIN INALIENABLE RIGHTS---LIFE---LIBERTY---PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. When these are taken our countrys judicial system has recourse, i.e. Civil Action. So dont blame them for doing one of the things our country was founded on. Move to China or North Korea if law suits upset you. I dont know Brandy personnally. She may be the kindest person on the planet, however, every time each of us gets behind the wheel of a vehicle you are accepting responsibility for that vehicle because, obviously, the vehicle cannot think for itself. If she is at fault she should pay, if not she should walk. Justice is blind folded for a reason. I hope justice will be served.

If Brandy was using her cell phone at the time of the accident, then yes she is partly at fault. I've traveled on the 405 Freeway and you are taking your chances each time you drive it considering how fast the traffic is going. I believe some sort of RMV action should be taken against Brandy but not criminal action. I also believe that the amount the parents are suing for is excessive. The mother worked alledgedly five jobs, then the wages she reported to the IRS times twice her age is an appropriate settlement for the children. The relatives can find another meal ticket.

Hey John, when that happened to you on the 5, was it in San Diego going north right around Genesee and was the car in front of you an older Chevy sedan and did the truck end up at a right angle to the lane?

People should not be above the law. You are given a responsibility when you have a license. A motorist who causes an accident is charged with such and has points added to their license. Someone drinking is charged accordingly as well. All of these offences apply to everyone. I cannot believe how many of these celebrities are getting off so easily. A man locally was just charged with his first DUI here. He was put in jail for 90 days, for his first offence! Why is it that Paris Hilton and her ex-bf Nicole can go driving around drunk, Paris Hilton more than once even, and not get a single day in jail? Paris is a multiple offender even, and not a day in jail, not one. People are crying about harshness because these people are celebrities? Celebrities are still people, they're just able to afford better lawyers than the average joe. You don't do 65 or faster down any street, road, or highway and not know traffic is slowing down or stopping. You have to not be paying attention, and that is something required of all of us by law to do when driving a motorized vehicle. I don't care if you're the worlds most popular celebrity, or the most unknown low class citizen. If you break the law you deserve to be charged accordingly. Accidents are just that, but taking a life with your vehicle is not something easily done. Especially when they are in a vehicle further ahead of yours, infront of other vehicles you're crashing into. Brandy may be a celebrity, and it may truly have been an accident, but she took a life. Anyone of us could have done it and we'd still be charged with the life we took, as well as the accident we caused. Why are there such complaints about her status as a public figure. That should have nothing to do with what has happened. She's still a person, human being first, public icon second.

I honestly don't understand how some people are judging Brandy. Why is this, there is a reason they are called accidents. That's what this was.Brandy does alot of positive things with her fame, she is always helping a cause or a person, or teaching a lesson.She had a bad accident, why must it be her fault. Is there that many people who pay attention to everything without missing a step? Things happen sometimes beyond our control. A car can jump in front of us, or slam on their brakes in a second.It happens all the time.It doesn't mean someone is to blame.No one is perfect, imagine this terrible accident happened with your child driving.Would you be as harsh as you are now?If she was drinking or doing drugs to alter her thinking I could understand what a bad thing, this was her fault getting behind the wheel.That would be a bad mistake on her part,it would be without a question her fault. However, this is not the case.It was an accident,very bad one with sad consiquences.Yet, it was an accident that could of happened to anyone of us, remember that before you judge...

I don't think there's any difference between talking on your phone behind the wheel and driving drunk. Every day, often many times, I see somebody driving like a jackass because they can't quit flapping their gums for twenty minutes at a time. I think people who crash while talking on the phone should be treated just as harshly as a DUI because they are just as much voluntarily lessening their ability to concentrate, thereby endangering innocent people.

I tend to agree with a lot of you as to who is and who is not at fault. If you are not a murderer, killing someone is already a high price to pay. She will have to live with that guilt for the rest of her life. Celebrity or not, she is human. And I just have to say, people--every day happens to be two words the way it is used here. I do not know who turned it into one word, but it was not Webster's.

To Angie,Oh Just because a celebrity has deep pockets doesn't make them liable for paying off a family. Thats whats wrong with society always looking for away to get rich quick at any expense.

There is way too much speculation on this forum. She was on the phone, she was too small to be capable of controlling an SUV (WHAT?), she was distracted by gadgets. Not one ounce of hard fact other than the fact that it was an ACCIDENT. The kind we have all had, every one of us. Should we all be sued for $50 millon? Or is it that rich people are more responsible for an accidental death than 'ordinary' people. Or, could it be that the families of dead people see a way to GET more money when the person who caused the accident is rich. Do they want the money to replace their loved one? No. They just want the cash. Will $49 million go to road safety charities or to those who help the bereaved? No. Will some of it go on big SUVs for the 'grieving' family. I suspect it will. Lord forbid one of them then has an accident, because then they'll have to give all that money back. Why? Because they're RICH now. Is this the first accident this family have been a part of? Did they sue before? For $50 million? Or are they only suing now because ot is a celebrity. If we are going to speculate, then WHAT IF this family have, in the past, caused an accident/death of their own? Were they sued for multi-millions? Did they expect to be? Would they they have considered it fair if they had or would they, like the bulk of decent people, find it to be greedy and distasteful? Cars are dangerous. VERY. More so than planes/trains and boats. If you do not want to run the risk of dying in an accident, don't get into a car, because ACCIDENTS do happen. It's that simple. If you do get in a car... expect the risks and face the worse with good grace, not avarice.

Brandy is a young beautiful actress/singer who many people are going after her for just that. She knows what she did and she has to live with that for the rest of her life. On top of that they want her to pay 50 million dllars. What are they crazy. Put yourself in her shoes and see how she must feel. I feel for Brandy and the family of the deceased woman.What do they need with 50 million dollars. That is extreme! I can see a nice amount for the funeral! But how can you put a prce on someones life? Just because she is a celebrity with money she has to give that money!

Sandy I must say many people do talk on their cell phones when they are in the car. I bet even you talk on your cell phone at times. If you had good money and this happened to you I know you would not think you should pay that kind of money. It's an accident. Lets stop judging Brandy and try to see how she feels.

All the people who say things about little Brandy are haters. Grow up and why do you hold a grudge on small skinny people.

As a matter of fact, Candice, I do not, and I would not talk on a cell phone behind the wheel while the car was in motion unless it was an emergency. I did it once, realized I was not in full control of the car anymore, and never did it again. More and more states and cities are passing laws recognizing the fact that it's a dangerous practice. The fact that many people do it doesn't mean it's safe. I'm not in favor of crazy lawsuits, but purely from the question of prosecution, anyone who crashes while on a cell phone should be treated like a drunk driver. By being on the phone you are just as much voluntarily giving up full control of the car, and putting other people at risk. And that is not an accident but a decision.

Los Angeles traffic, especially on the 405, is subject to scary sudden squalls. One minute you are driving 55 on a clear road and just seconds later, and I mean seconds, it's standstill traffic. I think that is what happened to Brandy, it's really easy to have close calls like this. It has nearly happened to me once and I still have flashbacks about it, it is so scary. I always watch for the red lights of braking, not just of the cars ahead of me, but of the cars as far ahead as I can see. But I know it's not foolproof. I feel for Brandy, I think she got into a horrific accident.

This nightmare just keeps getting worse. I hope Brandy is not charged with manslaughter. I hope she wasnt talking on the phone because if she was her phone records will show it. I hope both she and the family can heal there wounds with time because this cant be easy for either side but the healing process will not occur until the family of the victim start thinking with their head and heart and not their wallets. They are looking to profit from their loss instead of seeking real justice. Like it or not they will have to forgive Brandy and the other driver for being human.

wow I cant believe Brandy will do a thing like that. Brandy is cool but how did she got in a car accident? well I dont know! anyways, this is scary.

If you live in Southern CA you know how easy it would be to create a chain reaction on the 405. Easy! As much as I value the priviledge of my cell phone; I look for the day when they are outlawed while driving. Brandy created an accident yes but she has taking the responsibility for it. I'm just grateful drinking or drugs were not involved. Unlike the idiot that recently plowed her car through a car while on Crack Cocaine! Or the father who was too plastered to drive home so his 9 yr old drove instead. Why aren't we up in arms about these fools?! I want the law to be consistent when dealing with these issues; celebrity and joe schmoe alike. That's all any of us want, right?

Brandy my be a celebrity but the absolute bottom line is this.... she is human. Imperfect just as we all are. I do beleive there has to be some accountability on Brandys part. I believe she owes that family comfort. I believe her conscious is making her pay far more than she wants it to. She is scared, shaken, regretful and remorseful and this will never leave her til the day she is laid to rest herself. That saying about only one life to live so live it well? Everyone please take it to heart. No matter the outcome, no matter what settlement the family receives for their loss, no matter how many other people are lost in accidents or die from no accident at all, remember, no one comes back, no amount of apology or money will bring them. Everyone...drive safe, think of yourself and others and the consequences of your actions at all times. Brandy, young lady, I pray for you. The family of the Awatef Aboudihaj, I pray for you that your pain and grief will be eased with each passing day. I lost a nephew 3 yrs ago. His mother killed him then killed herself. That ladies and gentlemen, was no accident. I forgave her even though she is no longer here. Forgivness and Compassion are wonderful things. Leave the judging to the rightful owner of the task.

Accidents do happen, celebrity or non-celebrity, but the point is Brandy took a life away. The woman is somebody's mother, somebody's sister, and somebody's wife and she's never coming back. Gadget or no gadget people, PAY ATTENTION TO THE F****** ROAD!!! I'm sorry Brandy, you need to do your time and when you come out, you'll be spending the rest of your life owing the family. One advice to Brandy, don't ever drive again.

how do we know that it was Brandy's car that caused the death,another car was also involved.

Some people who post here need to think logically. If a 2 ton hits a honda at 65mph how can you blame the driver four going to the center dived. What other decision could you make in that period of time. Does the elementary formula Kenetic energy=.5*M*V^2 mean anything? Lets see .5*4000*10000=20,000,000 footpounds of force on the car. which was all cause the careless Brandy. You can not blame anybody but her for the death.

There are new facts and theories in the case now, almost a year after the crash.

That is why it is best never to judge until all the evidence is in

Brandy will not be charged by the DA

my son  who was only 20 was killed 9-01-07, the driver was under the influence, there was testimony from another passenger in the car who survived, my son was thrown out of the vechicle and landed on the freeway, another vechicle ran over him this person did,nt see him because she was on the cell phone.
yea people need to be held accountable. money can not bring my son back. i only want justice and there has been none

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