Current:Home > InvestFour Pepperdine University students killed in crash on California highway, driver arrested -Lighthouse Finance Hub
Four Pepperdine University students killed in crash on California highway, driver arrested
View
Date:2025-04-13 06:58:32
Four college students at Pepperdine University in Malibu were killed Tuesday and two others were injured when a car careened into them as they stood along the Pacific Coast Highway, officials said.
The driver, identified as 22-year-old Frazier M. Bohm, was arrested and charged with vehicular manslaughter after it appeared he had lost control of his car around 8:30 p.m. local time, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff’s Capt. Jennifer Seetoo said at a news conference Wednesday morning that Bohm has minor injuries and has been released as the investigation is being conducted.
The four women who were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash were identified as students at the nearby Pepperdine University, a private Christian university overlooking the Pacific Coast Highway. The school later identified the victims in a statement as Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams, all of whom were seniors.
Two others were taken to a hospital after the crash, but there was no word yet on their conditions, according to the Associated Press.
Joran van der Sloot:Suspect confesses to 2005 murder of Natalee Holloway in Aruba
Pepperdine plans prayer service after 'unimaginable tragedy'
Pepperdine President Jim Gash lamented in a letter to the university community the "devastating" toll the "unimaginable tragedy" would have on the small university campus.
“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,” Gash said. “I join you in your grief as we process this profound loss."
The university was planning a prayer service for Thursday open to students and staff to remember and honor the women, who attended the university’s Seaver College of Liberal Arts.
The university is also planning memorial services with the families, according to its statement.
New Orleans:Father arrested in connection to house fire that killed 3 children
Investigators believe speed was a factor in crash
Investigators believe Bohm was driving a dark colored BMW westbound at a high rate of speed when he lost control and slammed into three parked vehicles, which then crashed into a group of nearby pedestrians.
A statement on Facebook from the city of Malibu on Wednesday cited a “speeding motorist” as the cause of the deadly crash, which occurred about 25 miles west of downtown Los Angeles.
Speeding vehicles on the 21-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway running through Malibu is an ongoing concern for law enforcement, Seetoo said, noting the number of fatal crashes that have occurred throughout the years on the road.
“We need to do something different,” Seetoo said. “We’ve got to work together as a community; there's too many people on this stretch of the highway that have been killed.”
Contributing: The Associated Press
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
veryGood! (856)
Related
- The seven biggest college football quarterback competitions include Michigan, Ohio State
- American Girl Proclaims New '90s Dolls Are Historic—And We're Feeling Old
- Man says he survived month lost in Amazon rainforest by eating insects, drinking urine and fighting off animal attacks
- Tony Awards have gendered actor categories — where do nonbinary people fit?
- Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
- Ukrainian civilians grapple with heart-wrenching decisions as Russian forces surround Bakhmut
- Relationships are the true heart of 1940s dystopian novel 'Kallocain'
- Transcript: Sen. Joe Manchin on Face the Nation, March 5, 2023
- A steeplechase record at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Then a proposal. (He said yes.)
- Blinken, Lavrov meet briefly as U.S.-Russia tensions soar and war grinds on
Ranking
- Olympic women's basketball bracket: Schedule, results, Team USA's path to gold
- Letting go of hate by questioning the very idea of evil
- Ariana DeBose Speaks Out About Viral BAFTAs Rap in First Interview Since Awards Show
- Three great songs for your next road trip
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- The Catholic Church profited from slavery — 'The 272' explains how
- Hayden Panettiere's Family Reveals Jansen Panettiere's Cause of Death
- The Irony Of the Deinfluencing Trend All Over TikTok
Recommendation
Mega Millions winning numbers for August 6 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $398 million
'SNL' just wrapped its 48th season: It's time to cruelly rank its musical guests
Notre Dame Cathedral will reopen in 2024, five years after fire
Bus with 40 children crashes in French Alps
Drones warned New York City residents about storm flooding. The Spanish translation was no bueno
That Headband You've Seen in Every TikTok Tutorial Is Only $8
Dominique Fishback is the actress with a thousand faces
The AG who prosecuted George Floyd's killers has ideas for how to end police violence