The driver of a vehicle that hit and killed four Pepperdine University students on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu last week has been charged with murder.
Fraser Bohm, 22, was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with four counts of murder for the deaths of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams.
The crash happened on Oct. 17, when the four college seniors were hit by a vehicle allegedly driven by Bohm.
Bohm was arrested at the scene for gross vehicular manslaughter, but was released from custody hours later while authorities investigated the circumstances of the crash.
Officials for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said much of the evidence needed to keep him in custody was pending at the time, meaning Bohm needed to be released until there was enough to present to the District Attorney’s Office for charges.
“Our detectives worked diligently to compile all the evidence needed so they could file the maximum charges allowed under California law,” Sheriff’s Officials said in a Tuesday news release. “The Sheriff’s Department is relentlessly working to ensure we get justice for the victims’ families.”
Charges were filed Monday, officials said, and Bohm was taken into custody Tuesday. He’s been booked into jail and is being held on $8 million bail.
The Sheriff’s Department says detectives are working with a district attorney who specializes in prosecuting fatal collisions.
The crash happened on a stretch of road known to locals as “Dead Man’s Curve,” due to the high number of accidents which often involve speeding drivers.
Neighbors, Pepperdine officials and traffic safety advocates held demonstrations last week, calling for safety improvements along the dangerous roadway, including speed cameras, lower speed limits and more active patrols by law enforcement.