Lawsuit Targets Local Authorities Over Fatal Crash Involving Pepperdine Students
The families of four Pepperdine University students who were killed in a deadly accident on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu filed a lawsuit against state and local agencies. The lawsuits target the State of California, Caltrans, the California Coastal Commission, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Malibu, claiming that these entities are responsible for the hazardous design of the roadway and their failure to implement life-saving safety measures according to a press release from the families’ law firms.
The tragic accident occurred on October 17, 2023, when Pepperdine seniors Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams were walking along the northbound shoulder of PCH near a stretch known as “Dead Man’s Curve.” A driver, Fraser Michael Bohm, who lost control of his vehicle, veered into the shoulder, first striking a parked car before fatally hitting the four students and injuring a fifth.
This specific .8-mile section of PCH, running from Las Flores Canyon Road to Carbon Canyon Road, is notorious for high-speed accidents. According to crash data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) and the Traffic Accident Surveillance and Analysis System (TASAS), 217 auto collisions were reported in this area between January 16, 2012, and July 26, 2023. Speeding was a factor in 64 of those incidents.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the families by Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP, Kramer Trial Lawyers APC, Ellis Riccobono, LLP, and BD&J, PC, claims that the defendants had long been aware of the dangers posed by this portion of PCH. In 2015, a Pacific Coast Highway Safety Study commissioned by the Malibu City Council identified 130 safety improvements needed to reduce accidents. Despite the allocation of over $28 million in funding, only seven projects had been completed by November 2023.
The complaint points to a broader issue, citing Los Angeles County Sheriff Captain Jennifer Seetoo’s report, which notes that between 2013 and 2023, PCH in Malibu saw 3,345 vehicle collisions resulting in 53 deaths and 92 serious injuries. Over the past decade, 42,102 speeding tickets were issued along PCH in Malibu, but enforcement alone has failed to curb the danger.
“Pacific Coast Highway has been a death trap for decades,” tweeted Malibu resident Rob Lowe following a deadly crash in 2015 that claimed the life of rapper MC Supreme.
The attorneys for the victims’ families condemned the defendants’ inaction. “For far too long, PCH in Malibu has been unsafe for pedestrians and drivers alike,” they said in a joint statement. “These lawsuits will force the defendants to take the actions they should have taken years ago to prevent further tragedies. Enough is enough.”
Representatives from Caltrans, Los Angeles County, and the state of California have not issued statements but, according to NBC Los Angeles, the city of Malibu issued a statement, which said in part, “We understand the legal actions filed by the families in their pursuit of accountability, and the city respects their right to seek justice … The city of Malibu remains committed to collaborating with state and county agencies to expedite necessary safety improvements.”
