The 22-year-old driver who allegedly crashed his car and killed four Pepperdine University students last week in Malibu has been charged with four counts of murder and four counts of gross vehicular manslaughter.
District Attorney George Gascón announced the charges Wednesday afternoon, stating that the investigation revealed that Fraser Michael Bohm “…Knew his actions were dangerous to human life and deliberately acted with conscious disregard for human life,” Gascón said.
Bohm allegedly crashed into the four young women on the evening of Oct. 17 in the 21600 block of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Gascón said he was allegedly speeding at 104 mph in a 45 mph zone along the highway. Bohm lost control of his BMW and collided with three parked cars before ultimately killing the four sorority sisters.
Deputies initially arrested Bohm on Oct. 17 for gross vehicular manslaughter but released him due to insufficient evidence. The department diligently worked to gather enough evidence to file the maximum charges permitted under California law. A week later, deputies again placed Bohm in custody and booked him for four counts of murder. Bohm also made a court appearance Wednesday, pleading not guilty to murder and other charges at his arraignment.
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“Collectively, as a community, we need to think about driving and safety,” Gascón said while announcing the charges.
The young women killed were all members of the Alpha Phi sorority at Pepperdine. University officials identified the college seniors as Asha Weir, Deslyn Williams, Niamh Rolston, and Peyton Stewart.
The tragic crash has sparked renewed efforts to implement new safety measures along the Pacific Coast highway.
