Pepperdine University officials have identified the four students who died in a crash Tuesday evening on the Pacific Coast Highway in an area known locally as the “Dead Man’s Curve.”
Family members previously identified Niamh Rolston, a 20-year-old business graduate who was due to celebrate her 21st birthday in November. She was scheduled to graduate in 2024.
The other victims were named by the school as Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. All four studied at Pepperdine Seaver College of Liberal Arts in Malibu.
The horror occurred around 8:30 p.m. local time near the Malibu Pier and La Costa Beach when a 22-year-old driver is believed to have plowed into a group of parked cars and then hit the women walking nearby. Two other people are being treated at a local hospital as a result of the accident.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department identified the driver as Fraser Michael Bohm. He is charged with involuntary manslaughter but has been released from custody while the investigation continues. A spokesman appeared to rule out street racing playing a role in the accident as no other car was involved.
Niamh Ralston was one of four Pepperdine University students killed Tuesday night in Malibu when a BMW crashed into a parked car and then hit them. She was supposed to celebrate her 21st birthday next month
Peyton Stewart recently completed a coveted internship at TikTok
Desilyn Williams (left), a Georgia native, pictured on her LinkedIn page
Asha Weir was scheduled to graduate from Seaver College of Liberal Arts in the spring
The police surrounded the crime scene where the horror occurred on Tuesday evening
Witnesses said Bohm was uninjured after the incident and attempted to leave the scene until onlookers arrested him. A sheriff’s office spokesman said a drunken driving investigation was also underway.
Officials said a Pepperdine fraternity party was taking place in the area, and the official said the victims were planning to meet up with others at the time of the tragedy.
According to her LinkedIn page, in addition to working at the Pepperdine school, Rolston also worked as a cheer and gymnastics coach, while Asha Weir worked as a writing teacher at the school in her free time.
Peyton Stewart volunteered at a nursing home and recently completed an internship at TikTok.
Deslyn Williams’ employer paid tribute to her in a heartbreaking Facebook post, saying: “When you get the saddest news – 21 miles of devastation – a road filled with heartbreak.” One commenter wrote: “Deslyn, RIP my queen.”
The area where the crash occurred is known by locals as the “Dead Man’s Curve” due to the high number of incidents in the area.
The fire chief described the accident as “terrible” and added: “Unfortunately we have four fatalities, we have four victims who did not survive.”
“The sheriff is out here and will be conducting a full investigation to find out what caused this.” “It’s a difficult scene right now.”
Debris can be seen along the Pacific Coast Highway following the crash
A man walks past the makeshift shrine erected for the victims of the horrific crash
Malibu resident Joan Zoloth said the accident was not a surprise since the side of the road is known for “drag racing” that is “non-stop.”
The shocking incident occurred on a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway known as the “Dead Man’s Curve.”
Pepperdine University said it had “reason to believe” the victims were Seaver College students
When emergency services were on scene on Wednesday morning, one of the cars involved could still be seen on the side of the road, where almost the entire rear driver’s side was crumpled from the collision.
The crash remains under investigation, but officials have indicated they believe speed was a factor.
Locals quickly noticed that the area where the accident occurred is notorious for speeding and the tragedy was no surprise.
“Since Covid, there has been an increase in incredible racing on this highway,” said Joan Zoloth of Malibu.
“(It’s) 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.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Sheila Kelliher-Berkoh also noted that speed likely contributed to the tragedy.
‘It’s tough. Everyone picks up their pace…this is a very densely populated pedestrian street, so it’s one of those scary things where you say, ‘Hey guys, slow down,'” she said.
Connie Horton, Pepperdine University’s vice president for student affairs, said the victims brought a “unique gift and spirit” to the school.
A prayer service for the victims will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday in Pepperdine.
“Today we learned that four precious lives who brought joy and light to our campus were suddenly, tragically and incomprehensibly taken from us,” Pepperdine President Jim Gash wrote in a message to the university community.
“As we await further details of the investigation, we pray for our entire community,” the university said on X.