Malibu crash: 4 Pepperdine students killed on PCH identified

Pepperdine mourns loss of 4 students

The Pepperdine University community is mourning the loss of four sorority sisters who died after getting hit by a BMW on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

MALIBU, Calif. - Four students from Pepperdine University in Malibu were killed in a horrific car crash on the Pacific Coast Highway Tuesday night.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said the crash happened Tuesday, Oct 17. around 8:30 p.m. when the suspect, a 22-year-old from Malibu, reportedly lost control of his BMW. The driver slammed into three parked cars before ricocheting and fatally striking the victims, who officials said were standing on the side of the road.

Sheriff's officials say the driver was booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, but jail records show he was released from custody around 7:20 a.m. Wednesday, citing California Penal Code Section 849(b)-1, which states that a suspect can be released from custody if there are insufficient grounds for making a criminal complaint against the person arrested. Sheriff's officials said the investigation into the crash is ongoing.

4 Pepperdine women killed in PCH Malibu crash

Pepperdine University released the names of the four students killed in the Malibu crash on the Pacific Coast Highway.

Deadly Malibu crash raises PCH concerns

A 22-year-old was driving a dark gray four-door sedan west on PCH when he lost control and swerved onto the north shoulder of the highway and collided with three parked vehicles. Three women were killed in the crash.

On Wednesday, officials at Pepperdine University confirmed that Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams were killed in the crash. According to the university, they were all in their senior year at the school's undergraduate campus, Seaver College.

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Officials address deadly Malibu crash

Four women who were killed in a horrific crash on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu are believed to have been students at Pepperdine's Seaver College of Liberal Arts, the university announced Wednesday.

"To the students who loved, lived with, and were in community with the departed members of our Pepperdine family, my heart is broken with yours," said Pepperdine University President Jim Gash in a statement. "I join you in your grief as we process this profound loss. To the faculty and staff members who mentored and loved these students throughout their academic journeys both inside and outside the classroom, I offer prayers of comfort, support, and gratitude."

Gash added, "In the days ahead, we will come together in meaningful ways to honor and celebrate the lives of the remarkable individuals lost to this unthinkable tragedy. We will harness the strength found in the bonds of friendship and the community that unites us."

University officials said the campus is offering "spiritual and emotional support, including from the counseling center, from the pastoral care team, and the student care team."

4 Pepperdine students killed in Malibu PCH crash, officials believe

A 22-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter.

According to the sheriff's department, there are not believed to have been any other vehicles involved in the crash, and it remains unclear if the driver may have been impaired at the time of the crash.

Investigators believe speed was a factor in the crash on the stretch of the highway known as "Dead Man’s Curve."

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that speeding along the infamous PCH is an ongoing, and often deadly issue.

"Some come to Malibu for the beautiful beaches," said LA Sheriff's Department Captain Jennifer Seetoo, "But then never make it home."

(FOX 11)

"It’s tough. Everybody picks up their speed… this is a very heavily populated pedestrian area, so it’s one of those scary things where it’s like ‘Hey people, slow down,’" LA County Fire Capt. Sheila Kelliher-Berkoh said.

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Seetoo urged officials to adopt speed cameras along the highway, to more effectively combat speeding drivers in Malibu. The captain noted that the PCH stretches 21 miles and that officers can't be "everywhere at once."

For Seetoo, speeding cameras are a start in the right direction.

"People slow down when they see a patrol car, you drive by the rules of the road. We've got to do something different," said Seetoo.

In Wednesday's press conference, reiterated the devastating toll that reckless driving along PCH has taken over the years.

"This is a town, it's a college town. People need to slow down," she said.

(FOX 11)

"In this time of immeasurable grief and heartache, we stand together as a community and turn to our faith and each other to find hope and healing in the midst of this tragedy," said Connie Horton, vice president for student affairs. "Each departed student brought a unique gift and spirit to the University, and we deeply grieve the unfulfilled hopes and aspirations of our precious community members."

A prayer service was held on Thursday honoring the four women.