CA - 4 Pepperdine students killed in crash, Malibu, Oct 2023 *arrest*

[PrairieWind]

Four women struck and killed in Malibu crash were Pepperdine students, university says

A man has been arrested after four women, identified as seniors at Pepperdine University, were struck and killed on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

www.latimes.com

I don't know if this had been posted yet or not. Wow, what a horrific tragedy!

 

[ifindedout]

Four women struck and killed in Malibu crash were Pepperdine students, university says

A man has been arrested after four women, identified as seniors at Pepperdine University, were struck and killed on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

www.latimes.com

I don't know if this had been posted yet or not. Wow, what a horrific tragedy!

From the article:
After speaking with the families, Pepperdine University identified the victims Wednesday evening as Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. All four were seniors at the Malibu campus. The L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner is conducting death investigations for all four women.

[...]

Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, said sheriff’s Sgt. Maria Navarro, watch commander at the Malibu/Lost Hills station. Bohm suffered minor injuries in the crash and received medical attention before being booked into jail.

The crash remains under investigation, but Navarro said alcohol was not believed to have been a factor after deputies conducted a field sobriety test. She would not say whether speeding was suspected, but a statement from the city of Malibu on Wednesday cited a “speeding motorist” as the cause of the deadly crash.

The 21-mile stretch of PCH that runs through Malibu is an ongoing concern, with speed being the leading cause of fatal traffic collisions, Capt. Jennifer Seetoo of the Malibu-Lost Hills station said at a press conference Wednesday.

 

[PrairieWind]

Why can't people just slow down on the roads!!!

 

[10ofRods]

Speed limit on PCH is typically 55. It's a highway. Everyone goes faster than the speed limit, pretty much. But there's also street racing.

Unfortunately, there are long distances in between stoplights and it's become a place where people come to raise their cars (hence the high rate of fatal accidents in that stretch of road). 23 people dead in vehicular accidents on that stretch in just 4 years:

News article with map showing fatal accidents on PCH

Thank you for posting this, @PrairieWind. It does look like criminal charges are filed against the driver. Article says it appears drugs and alcohol were not a factor (but how they'd know about drugs just yet, I'm not sure).

 

[10ofRods]

Driver charged with murder in the deaths of the four young women.

Report also reveals that the incident took place on Dead Man's Curve, notorious for speeding accidents.

Bail is set at $8M.

 

[Betty P]

Speed limit on PCH is typically 55. It's a highway. Everyone goes faster than the speed limit, pretty much. But there's also street racing.

Unfortunately, there are long distances in between stoplights and it's become a place where people come to raise their cars (hence the high rate of fatal accidents in that stretch of road). 23 people dead in vehicular accidents on that stretch in just 4 years:

News article with map showing fatal accidents on PCH

Thank you for posting this, @PrairieWind. It does look like criminal charges are filed against the driver. Article says it appears drugs and alcohol were not a factor (but how they'd know about drugs just yet, I'm not sure).

The article also says neighbors are complaining because there's a fraternity house recently located on the highway. There are no sidewalks there, so students are always walking, parking and biking on the roadway, in 55 mph traffic. Terrible idea. They need to move that frat house again.

 

[PrairieWind]

Speed limit on PCH is typically 55. It's a highway. Everyone goes faster than the speed limit, pretty much. But there's also street racing.

Unfortunately, there are long distances in between stoplights and it's become a place where people come to raise their cars (hence the high rate of fatal accidents in that stretch of road). 23 people dead in vehicular accidents on that stretch in just 4 years:

News article with map showing fatal accidents on PCH

Thank you for posting this, @PrairieWind. It does look like criminal charges are filed against the driver. Article says it appears drugs and alcohol were not a factor (but how they'd know about drugs just yet, I'm not sure).

23 fatalities in 4 years is pretty appalling to me. There needs to be some traffic changes or better enforcement. enforecment is probably not economically feasible given short staffing LE these days. But surely some better traffic control or road design can help out here.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

Cars might be considered more deadly than a gun. One bullet will kill one person generally, but one crash and here's 4 killed.

I've lived in LA (what a great place to be 21 in the 90s) and know this stretch very well. Terrifying that this keeps happening.

What a tragic loss to so many.

 

[IceIce9]

When I have driven on PCH I have been shocked by the number of motorcyclists and bicyclists. Seems very dangerous, especially on the curves.

It’s a popular training route for serious cyclists, at over 1500 miles long.

Other cyclists enjoy the scenery and exploring the small towns along the way

Not a place I would like to ride, as much as I enjoy exploring or my bike.

JMO

 

[10ofRods]

23 fatalities in 4 years is pretty appalling to me. There needs to be some traffic changes or better enforcement. enforecment is probably not economically feasible given short staffing LE these days. But surely some better traffic control or road design can help out here.I

In my life time, that curve has been redesigned in a major way...three times. It used to be almost on level with the ocean and waves came over it (and eroded it). So they spent millions in the 70s to raise the road. But still there were accidents (people actually go flying off that curve into the Pacific Ocean, despite the warning signs, speed limit drops - and a major widening of the road).

In the 90's until the 2010s, they made the curve less sharp, poured some concrete, widened the entire stretch of road and put in guardrails to make it plain that one was going to leave the road altogether if they didn't mind their speed. Tons more stop lights (but not in that section, because...there are no cross roads or any reason to stop). It's a highway.

Should they ban bikes and pedestrians altogether? I don't know, but last time we were there for a family dinner (on a weekend), I was shocked at how people were parked all up and down PCH, and the pedestrians instead of taking the inner route (narrow path between hedges/fence and parked cars, pedestrians were walking right on the edge of the highway - much much easier to walk there, of course, but so scary with cars going by at 60 mph or more (speed limit is 55).

I think it's already prohibited to walk on the actual highway, but people do it all the time (so yes, it would have be more enforcement - that area doesn't really have its own police station or CHP, it's operating out of West Valley, IIRC - so maybe a couple of squad cars?). There are not many businesses right there to tax, either.

It's very alarming to see the statistics on this, after this terrible tragedy (I sometimes commute past that same spot but haven't been able to bring myself to go that way since it happened).

So very sad.

 

[mickey2942]

Cars might be considered more deadly than a gun. One bullet will kill one person generally, but one crash and here's 4 killed.

I've lived in LA (what a great place to be 21 in the 90s) and know this stretch very well. Terrifying that this keeps happening.

What a tragic loss to so many.

I do too. And vividly remember when a car passed my mom driving there, the car passing my mom, went back in front of her, to hit the two motorcycles in front of her.

People drive too fast there, and pass when they shouldn't.

That road is safe, if people drive normally, follow basic traffic etiquette, and definitely don't drive drunk!!!

 

[10ofRods]

I do too. And vividly remember when a car passed my mom driving there, the car passing my mom, went back in front of her, to hit the two motorcycles in front of her.

People drive too fast there, and pass when they shouldn't.

That road is safe, if people drive normally, follow basic traffic etiquette, and definitely don't drive drunk!!!

Initially they said that the driver in this case did not appear to be drunk but that the broader toxicology was in, yet.

And now he's in jail on $8M bond, so I believe either there was ultimately evidence of alcohol - or, more likely, some other substance.

 

[mickey2942]

Initially they said that the driver in this case did not appear to be drunk but that the broader toxicology was in, yet.

And now he's in jail on $8M bond, so I believe either there was ultimately evidence of alcohol - or, more likely, some other substance.

I just assumed anyone driving that road at 100 mph must have been impaired. However, that has not been determined yet. So far, the defense is that the driver was being chased.

Driver charged in killing of 4 Pepperdine students was being chased, his attorney says

Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, of Malibu pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Van Nuys. Regarding the road rage claim, DA says to bring on the evidence.

www.dailynews.com

 

[PrairieWind]

I do too. And vividly remember when a car passed my mom driving there, the car passing my mom, went back in front of her, to hit the two motorcycles in front of her.

People drive too fast there, and pass when they shouldn't.

That road is safe, if people drive normally, follow basic traffic etiquette, and definitely don't drive drunk!!!

As 10ofRods pointed out, there initially didn't appear to be any intoxication and this apparently just due to speed. But honestly in my opinion it doesn't matter. I have little regard for people that speed excessively. It is just as reckless. I guess we will see if further test results show some sort of impairment. The $8mil bond seems crazy however. I am guessing that will be revised before long.

 

[10ofRods]

I just assumed anyone driving that road at 100 mph must have been impaired. However, that has not been determined yet. So far, the defense is that the driver was being chased.

Driver charged in killing of 4 Pepperdine students was being chased, his attorney says

Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, of Malibu pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in Van Nuys. Regarding the road rage claim, DA says to bring on the evidence.

www.dailynews.com

Sounds like street racing to me. And since COVID, it's become a daily thing on many different roads and highways. It's crazy. DH was hit by someone pretending to race his car (they are punks, they don't deserve the title of "racer") just two months ago. Guy lost control and spun out over four lanes of traffic - probably initially going about 100 mph, then trying to brake on a crowded, busy freeway.

PCH has been a place where people go to race for a long time (especially late at night). Long stretches without much light and totally without stop lights. No houses or businesses immediately facing the road, no cameras that I know of.

"Chased" means "we were both going fast and I was ahead of the other person." To me. No tolerance for speeding from me, either.

 

[Betty P]

In my life time, that curve has been redesigned in a major way...three times. It used to be almost on level with the ocean and waves came over it (and eroded it). So they spent millions in the 70s to raise the road. But still there were accidents (people actually go flying off that curve into the Pacific Ocean, despite the warning signs, speed limit drops - and a major widening of the road).

In the 90's until the 2010s, they made the curve less sharp, poured some concrete, widened the entire stretch of road and put in guardrails to make it plain that one was going to leave the road altogether if they didn't mind their speed. Tons more stop lights (but not in that section, because...there are no cross roads or any reason to stop). It's a highway.

Should they ban bikes and pedestrians altogether? I don't know, but last time we were there for a family dinner (on a weekend), I was shocked at how people were parked all up and down PCH, and the pedestrians instead of taking the inner route (narrow path between hedges/fence and parked cars, pedestrians were walking right on the edge of the highway - much much easier to walk there, of course, but so scary with cars going by at 60 mph or more (speed limit is 55).

I think it's already prohibited to walk on the actual highway, but people do it all the time (so yes, it would have be more enforcement - that area doesn't really have its own police station or CHP, it's operating out of West Valley, IIRC - so maybe a couple of squad cars?). There are not many businesses right there to tax, either.

It's very alarming to see the statistics on this, after this terrible tragedy (I sometimes commute past that same spot but haven't been able to bring myself to go that way since it happened).

So very sad.

Looking at it on Google Maps, as you say there are a lot of people parking on the shoulder of the road and walking around. I couldn't see very many places where there are sidewalks, almost none. Everyone uses the shoulder of the highway as a parking spot, bike lane or sidewalk. Very dangerous. People driving 100 mph there is very scary.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[10ofRods]

Looking at it on Google Maps, as you say there are a lot of people parking on the shoulder of the road and walking around. I couldn't see very many places where there are sidewalks, almost none. Everyone uses the shoulder of the highway as a parking spot, bike lane or sidewalk. Very dangerous. People driving 100 mph there is very scary.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

Exactly. We went for my birthday last year, and were extremely worried about the large number of people walking on the shoulder (it's worse during the day, but it's at all hours). There have been *so* many times when I was there during morning commute hours (my direction is less traveled, it's an alternate way for me to get to work), and I've been shocked at the speeding, and the straying onto the shoulder by multiple cars. Indeed, speeding has gotten so common that we have had some vehicle vs. house accidents right in our own neighborhood (maybe 1 per year for the past 3 years?) and we have had to take counter measures, because we're on a corner that has one street that goes straight (and has speed bumps - but, of course, the street racers love taking those at high speed - I think they would like to see their cars actually fly). We actually moved out of our master bedroom, because it's the only one that is near the street (the rest have a cinder block wall protecting them).

Our good friends had someone come flying through their cinder block wall and into their back yard about six months ago. Not too far from there, a woman lost control of her speeding car, went through a cinder block wall into a backyard and died on impact. Both of these walls are unrepaired and one of them is now a large memorial to the dead woman. PCH has little crosses and memorials all up and down it (as do the roads leading to PCH).

Almost no sidewalks is correct. And almost no public transportation, so the Pepperdine students do walk or bike to various local businesses (the campus itself is kind of far away from any of the watering holes of Malibu). WHere I live, there's a higher police to resident ratio (we have regular patrols of every neighborhood in the actual city). Malibu is weird, it's long and narrow and local law enforcement is based on the other side of the Santa Monica mountains, so that one has to take a fairly curvy and long road to get from Lost Hills Police to Malibu.

I have seen police out that way on weekend evenings, and there's been an attempt by the two counties where the speeding is going on to try and coordinate weekend patrol of that area, but it's a long stretch of road and the racers/speeders are well aware of that.

IMO.

 

[mickey2942]

Yes, and I remember, it was the only road when we lived there to get from Thousand Oaks to Santa Monica. Maybe that has changed.

 

[IceIce9]

Yes, and I remember, it was the only road when we lived there to get from Thousand Oaks to Santa Monica. Maybe that has changed.

We had relatives that lived in Thousand Oaks, and I was always worried about driving on PCH when we visited.

 

[10ofRods]

Yes, and I remember, it was the only road when we lived there to get from Thousand Oaks to Santa Monica. Maybe that has changed.

It's still the quickest way. They've improved Kanan-Dume Road a great deal, BUT, that's exactly why the street racers and scofflaws are able to get there from the Valley so much easier. They also race on the Conejo Grade - but it's faster for them to whip through Kanan-Dume, down to PCH and then open up the throttle. It was a BMW. Everyone I know just rolls their eyes when we hear someone has decided to drive a BMW - but it's also lots of tricked out cheaper Asian sports cars, American muscle cars, and of course - the famous ones (Lamborhinis flying through the air; Ferrari's on their maiden voyage going off into the water, etc). It's as if people think Fast and Furious is a real thing in Los Angeles - some are certainly trying to make it so.

One note of levity: the 4 cylinder cars that look as if they are super fast will gun their engines at a stop light and try to peel out (I drive a 4Runner, old school, and the gear ratios in my 4R enable me to get out ahead of them with ease - as in they are way in my rearview mirror while they're trying to "speed" from a full stop).

IOW, we who drive here encounter some weird, Hollywood-inspired antics by locals, usually young. The defendant in this case is 22. By my standards, he's a rich kid and he is a wannabe baseball player (was is the proper tense - he has ruined his own entire life and is going to have private lawyers, but still receive prison time, IMO).

Bail has been reduced, as @PrairieWind predicted (to $4M). His family owns a nearly $9M Malibu beach mansion.

PICTURED: Baseball player who crashed into Pepperdine sorority sisters (source of photo above)

Source for the bail change:

PICTURED: Baseball player who crashed into Pepperdine sorority sisters

The man who fatally crashed into four Pepperdine University sorority sisters has been revealed to be a star baseball player whose family live in a $8.7million Malibu sea cliff mansion.

www.dailymail.co.uk

From the above article:

'Since Covid, there has been an increase of incredible racing up and down this highway,' said Malibu resident Joan Zoloth.

'(It is) all night long, enough that you can hear it over the waves, and we live on the beach side.

'It's non-stop,' she added, claiming that others in the area have complained about 'drag racing' along the stretch of road.