The families of four Pepperdine sorority sisters who were killed on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu nearly one year ago are filing a lawsuit against the state and several state agencies.
Last October, Pepperdine seniors Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams were walking to an event when they were hit and killed.
The four students were standing or walking on the winding coastal road the night of Oct. 17, 2023. A driver traveling at high speed veered onto the shoulder of the road and crashed into three parked cars, leaving one on its side.
One of the parked vehicles hit the women as they stood on the side of the road, authorities said. The victims died at the scene, about five miles east of the the Pepperdine University campus.
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The 22-year-old driver behind the wheel of the car was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
The lawsuit filed by their families is asking for the state, Caltrans, LA County and the city of Malibu to be held accountable for what they call a dangerous road and for failing to implement safety measures.
According to a press release from the families’ lawyers, the four students were killed on the northbound shoulder of a section of PCH known as "Dead Man's Curve" – an approximate .8-mile stretch of road, from Las Flores Canyon Road to Carbon Canyon Road, that has resulted in the highest number of auto accidents on this 21-mile coastal roadway in Malibu.
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"As reported by Los Angeles County Sheriff Captain Jennifer Seetoo, between 2013 and 2023 there were a total of 3,345 vehicle collisions on PCH in Malibu resulting in 53 deaths and 92 serious injuries. In the past 10 years alone, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has issued over 42,102 speeding citations on PCH in Malibu," the release stated.
Representatives for the state, Caltrans, and LA County have not yet commented on the lawsuit.
A statement from the city of Malibu 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."
