The driver who caused the crash on Pacific Coast Highway on October 17 in Malibu, which killed four Pepperdine University students, He pleaded not guilty to murder charges on Wednesday. during a court hearing.
The lawyer of Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, of Malibustated that his client was being persecuted at the time the tragic mishap occurred.
Bohm was arrested this Tuesday, October 24, for the second time and his bail was set at $8 million, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD).
According to court records, Bohm was charged with four counts of murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter by the Los Angeles County prosecutor’s office.
During Wednesday’s arraignment hearing in Van Nuys, Bohm pleaded not guilty and his bond was reduced to $4 million..
According to Michael Kraut, the driver’s lawyer, his client was being chased when the accident happenedafter having a road rage incident.
“The question is whether it is murder, involuntary manslaughter or it is not a crime. That’s really what we’re here to see. We have evidence that the (Sheriff’s) department did not want to take that clearly shows that there was a road rage incident“Kraut declared.
This Wednesday, during a press conference, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said that the Bohm was driving more than 100 miles per hour at the time the collision occurred.
Bohm was arrested after the accident occurred, at 8:30 p.m. on October 17, on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, but was released at 7:20 am on Wednesday, October 18 as authorities continued investigations into the causes of the accident, including the driver’s possible disability.
LASD officials said Bohm was speeding westbound in the 21600 block of Pacific Coast Highway when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into at least three cars that were parked on the side of the road.
The vehicles that were parked They beat the four Pepperdine University students who were standing or walking on Pacific Coast Highway and died at the scene of the accident.
The four students who died were Niamh Rolston, 20; Peyton Stewart, 21; Asha Weir, 21, and Deslyn Williams, 21. They were students of senior at Seaver College of Liberal Arts, Pepperdine Universitylocated a few miles away from where the crash occurred.
Bohm He only suffered minor scratches and bruises in the accident..
The LASD said in a statement Tuesday night that Bohm was released hours after the incident “to give detectives time to gather the evidence necessary to ensure the strongest criminal presentation and conviction“.
“When a case is presented to the District Attorney’s Office, supporting evidence of the specific charges being requested is required to be filed within 48 hours,” the department said in its statement.
“In this specific case, the tests that included toxicology, speed analysis, execution of search warrants, etc., were still pending and took longer to collect“added the LASD in its statement.
LASD investigators presented the case Monday to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, which in turn filed charges against Bohmwho was arrested this Tuesday afternoon.
Keep reading: Women who were killed by a car in Malibu were students at Pepperdine University
Residents in the area near where the fatal accident occurred have asked the City Council for greater safety measures. The place where the accident happened They call it “Dead Man’s Curve.”.
The City Council asked its staff to prepare a report on the conditions of Pacific Coast Highway and a possible local emergency declarationwhich would allow the use of local resources to implement security measures.
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