Friends, family and community members gathered on Thursday evening to honor the four Pepperdine students killed by a driver on Pacific Coast Highway on the one-year anniversary of the crash.
The four women had their lives tragically cut short when they were hit by 22-year-old Fraser Brohm after he lost control of his vehicle in the 21600 block of PCH, near La Costa Beach and east of the Malibu Pier on Oct. 17, 2023. That portion of PCH is known to locals as “Dead Man’s Curve,” due to low visibility and common sights of reckless driving.
According to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, Brohm was driving 104 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone at the time of the crash.
The four women, who were seniors at the university, were later identified as Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. They were walking to a sorority sister’s home at the time of the collision.
On Thursday night, the four young women were honored at the site along PCH where four white “ghost tires” were placed in their memory last year, about one month after the incident. That site honors all 61 of the victims killed on PCH since 2010.
At the gathering, songs were performed and friends and family of the victims remembered their loved ones.
“Today it’s been a year without you and my heart still feels just as empty,” said Bridget Thompson, a friend of all four of the women. “The day I lost you, I lost four huge pieces of my heart.”
Dozens of former Pepperdine students returned to the site to pay respects to their friends, who were supposed to graduate alongside them this spring.
“Although they’re not here with us anymore, I know that they’re with us every step of the way no matter what,” said friend Kyler Mamou. “It really provides comfort for me knowing that at this point they’re just watching over us.”
Brohm was charged with four counts of murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter after the incident, charges he pleaded not guilty to. His trial is expected to begin early next year.
