By Ricardo Roura
Sep 18, 2024, 7:37 PM EDT
Parents of Four Pepperdine University students killed in a hit-and-run on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu in 2023as well as a fifth student who was injured, filed lawsuits Tuesday against the state of California, Caltrans, the California Coastal Commission, Los Angeles County and Malibu.
The lawsuits, which were filed separately in Santa Monica Superior Court, They say that all entities share the responsibility for the allegedly dangerous design of the section of the PCH where the accident occurred, and for not implementing safety measures to save lives.
“For too long, The Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu has been and remains unsafefor both pedestrians and drivers,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a joint statement.
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“As a result of the defendants’ complacency, Too many lives have been lost unnecessarily“, the lawyers added.
In their statement, the lawyers said the goal of the lawsuits is to force state and local government authorities to Do what you should have done a long time ago to avoid more accidents with human losses..
Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn WilliamsPepperdine University seniors, were walking to an event on the evening of Oct. 17, 2023, when they were struck and killed on a section of Pacific Coast Highway known as “Dead Man’s Curve,” a short stretch between Las Flores Canyon Road and Carbon Canyon Road.
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According to the plaintiffs’ attorneys, This section of the PCH is the one with the highest number of car accidents. along the entire 21-mile-long coastal highway.
The four students They were hit by a motorist who lost control of his vehicle on the road and veered onto the northbound shoulder.It first struck a legally parked car, then continued north and hit the four women, as well as a fifth student, who survived.
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The lawsuits allege that There were no protective measures for pedestrians even though the defendants had known about the danger for decades.
According to a Sheriff’s captain, Between 2013 and 2023 there were 53 deaths and 92 serious injuries in the areawhile the lawsuits say attempts to improve conditions through enforcement have had minimal or temporary results.
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