The families of four Pepperdine University students who tragically died in a car accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in California have initiated legal action against state and local authorities. The students, identified as Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams, were fatally struck by a speeding vehicle while walking along a notorious section of the highway in Malibu, known as “Dead Man’s Curve,” in October 2023. The accident also resulted in injuries to another student.
The driver involved in the accident was later charged with vehicular manslaughter. However, the grieving parents contend that the driver was not the only one at fault. They argue that the hazardous conditions of “Dead Man’s Curve,” a well-documented danger to pedestrians where people must walk dangerously close to highway traffic, also played a significant role in the accident.
The perilous stretch of road has been the scene of over 3,000 collisions between 2013 and 2023, resulting in 52 fatalities and 92 severe injuries. These alarming figures are referenced in four separate lawsuits filed against the state of California, the California Department of Transportation, the California Coastal Commission, Los Angeles County, and the city of Malibu.
The lawsuits claim that visitors to a nearby public beach are compelled to traverse a dangerous one-mile section of the highway, walking along unprotected shoulders without sidewalks or crosswalks, and navigating around parked cars. Daniel Kramer, a lawyer representing one of the families, compared the situation to “running the [interstate] freeway through a residential neighborhood.”
Kramer maintains that the authorities were fully cognizant of the risks associated with the highway. In 2015, the Malibu City Council approved a plan for 130 improvements to the Pacific Coast Highway. However, despite an investment of over $28 million in these projects, only seven of the proposed improvements have been completed so far.
The driver involved in the fatal accident, 22-year-old Fraser Bohm, also injured Carlos Solloa, a fellow Pepperdine student and co-plaintiff in the lawsuits. Solloa suffered orthopedic and neurological injuries and is now joining the victims’ families in their quest for safer conditions on “Dead Man’s Curve.”
While the plaintiffs do hold Bohm accountable for his actions, their lawsuits aim to bring about necessary safety improvements to the notorious stretch of highway. One of the victims, Peyton Stewart, was set to graduate this year with a major in international business and had already secured a job with TikTok, according to her father, Barry Stewart.
Barry and his wife Carmela have been tirelessly advocating for change, attending public meetings, and lobbying state and local officials. Kramer praised the strength and determination of the parents, stating, “It’s been devastating for them, but I’m in awe of the strength of these parents and how hard they are willing to fight.”