On Tuesday night, a tragic car accident occurred on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) near La Costa Beach in Malibu, resulting in the deaths of four Pepperdine University students. Around 8:30 p.m., the driver of a dark gray sedan, heading westbound, lost control and veered onto the shoulder of the highway. The vehicle collided with three parked cars which then struck the victims, identified as Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams—all seniors at the university’s Seaver College of Liberal Arts.
Pepperdine University has since announced plans to organize memorial services to commemorate the lives of the four women but is coordinating with their families before releasing specific details. University President Jim Gash expressed his profound sorrow over the loss, offering condolences and solidarity to the grieving student community.
At a news conference, Traffic Detective Roger Schultz reported that the women were likely on their way to meet others, though further information was not disclosed. Following the incident, 22-year-old Fraser Bohm was arrested under suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and subsequently released, according to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. It remains to be confirmed whether high-speed, drugs, or alcohol were contributing factors as the investigation continues.
Source: LAist