A tragic video has shown the four Pepperdine sorority girls who were killed in a Malibu crash laughing over dinner and drinks together just weeks before their deaths.
Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, was charged with vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence after the four college students were mowed down and killed – but he was released from custody.
Death of 4
Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams all died in the crash, which occurred along the Pacific Coast Highway, California, in an area known locally as ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ on Tuesday night.
All four were seniors studying at Pepperdine’s Seaver College of Liberal Arts in Malibu, and they were sisters in the Alpha Phi sorority.
Bohm, the 6’4″ BMW driver, was arrested two days after his birthday, following the crash.
He spent just five hours in jail, before being released at 7.20am, records show.
His bond was set at $50,000, but payment was not required for his release on October 18, because he was freed by police pending further investigation.
How it happened
The women were walking near a group of parked cars around 8.30pm when the 22-year-old came plowing their way in a dark gray four-door sedan.
He ‘lost control,’ hit three of the parked cars, which in turn hit the victims.
Two other people are being treated at a local hospital as a result of the crash.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department identified the driver as Fraser Michael Bohm.
A spokesperson appeared to rule out street racing as playing a factor in the crash as no other car was involved.
Witnesses said that Bohm was unscathed after the incident and attempted to leave the scene until onlookers apprehended him.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Maria Navarro said that alcohol was not believed to be a factor, after officers conducted a field sobriety test.
Cause of the crash
The City of Malibu said that a ‘speeding motorist’ was to blame for the crash.
Officials said that there was a Pepperdine fraternity party being held in the area, the official said that the victims had been planning to meet up with others at the time of the tragedy.
Niamh, Asha, and Peyton all lived together in college last year, their social media pages suggested.
The four girls went on vacations together, spent time in their sorority house with one another, and often posed for formals together. Tributes poured in for the women.
The area where the crash occurred is known to locals as ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ thanks to the high volume of incidents in the area.
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The fire captain described the accident as ‘horrible’, adding: ‘Unfortunately, we have four DOA’s, we have four victims that did not survive.
‘The sheriff is out here and they’re going to have a massive investigation to find out what caused this. It’s a tough scene right now.’
Investigation ongoing
As crews were on the scene Wednesday morning, one of the cars involved could still be seen by the side of the highway, where almost the entirety of the rear driver’s side was crumpled by the collision.
The crash is still under investigation, however officials have indicated that they believe speed was a factor.
Locals were quick to note that the area the crash happened has a notorious reputation for speeding, and the tragedy did not come as a surprise.
‘Since Covid, there has been an increase of incredible racing up and down this highway,’ said Malibu resident Joan Zoloth.
