4 Women Killed In PCH Crash Identified By Pepperdine

MALIBU, CA — Pepperdine University has identified the four women who were killed in a violent crash on Pacific Coast Highway Tuesday night.

The women — Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams — were seniors in Pepperdine's Seaver College of Liberal Arts, university officials said Thursday. Stewart, Weir and Williams were 21 years old. Rolston was set to turn 21 next month, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

"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," reads a statement from Pepperdine. "We offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Niamh, Peyton, Asha, and Deslyn and pray for their peace and healing during this time of significant grief."

A prayer service is planned at Pepperdine's Firestone Fieldhouse at 10 a.m. Thursday

The crash occurred Tuesday night on PCH near Carbon Canyon. Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, of Malibu, was traveling westbound on PCH when he lost control of his vehicle and swerved toward the shoulder of the north side of PCH, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Bohm's sedan then collided with three parked vehicles. Those vehicles hit the four women who were standing on the side of the road. They died from traumatic injuries and were pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.

Bohm was arrested on a charge of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. He has since been released. The driver suffered minor injuries, deputies said.

The women's identities will be released at a later time by the medical examiner, Seeto said. Pepperdine University officials in a statement earlier Wednesday said they believe the women were students at the school.

"After receiving the tragic news of a fatal accident near the Malibu campus last night, the University has reason to believe the four individuals who were killed on Pacific Coast Highway were Seaver College [of Liberal Arts] students," reads a message from Pepperdine shared with the campus community.

"The University is in contact with authorities and will assist with the notifications of family members when we have confirmation. Thereafter, we will provide additional information to the Pepperdine community. In this time of immeasurable grief and unimaginable heartache, we stand together as a community and turn to our faith and each other for comfort in the midst of despair."

Responding to reports that the women may have been attending a nearby fraternity party, deputies said it's unclear whether the women were attending the party, but they understand the women were on the road waiting got meet up with people.

Deputies said they're working to determine if Bohm was impaired at the time of the crash. They said there's no indication that he was involved in any type of street race; a detective said there are no other vehicles believed to be involved in the crash.