Normally, sheriff’s deputies are on the lookout for traffic collisions later this month, during Memorial Day Weekend. This year, however, they responded to a number of incidents all over Malibu during the last few days, before and after Mother’s Day.
On May 8, Lt. Panis with the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station confirmed a vehicle went over the side of the road on Kanan—one mile north of Pacific Coast Highway—at 5:30 p.m. The LA County Fire Department responded along with sheriff’s deputies.
On May 11, all lanes on Malibu Canyon Road were shut down—half a mile south from the tunnel to Piuma Road—following a traffic collision involving three vehicles. California Highway Patrol responded to the incident. KBUU
News reported one person was airlifted to the hospital with severe head injuries.
A man was taken into custody the next night, May 12, for driving his car into two parked cars on Pacific Coast Highway near Zuma Beach.
“It is believed that this was caused due to intoxication,” Lt. Jennifer Seetoo with the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station said. “The driver—basically, the suspect—hit two parked cars that had occupants inside those vehicles.”
The collision was reported at approximately 8:23 p.m., according to another deputy.
Both victims, who were in the parked cars when the incident occurred, were sent to nearby hospitals. One of them had to be airlifted. Seetoo confirmed both remain in critical condition.
It is unclear if any others were in the two vehicles at the time. A dog was in the suspect’s vehicle at the time. The suspect, who has so far been identified as an adult man, suffered minor injuries. He was in police custody at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station as of Monday, May 13.
On May 13, one eastbound lane on PCH was blocked following a traffic collision.
Early in the morning on Tuesday, May 14, a driver travelling at high speeds on PCH lost control of his vehicle at Topanga Beach Drive—across Cholada Thai Beach Cuisine restaurant—and rolled into a garage, per KBUU News.
Two people who were in the vehicle at the time were injured; the people in the property at the time were not injured, though the garage and home had serious damage.
Lt. Jennifer Seetoo confirmed a witness spotted the vehicle racing another car prior to the incident.
Later, during the same day, a vehicle and a pedestrian were involved in a traffic incident at approximately 8:20 p.m. on PCH, past Las Flores Canyon Road, per Deputy Alcala. Both westbound lanes and one eastbound lane were closed and later reopened as The Malibu Times went to print on Tuesday night.
Alcala confirmed the pedestrian was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries. On Wednesday, May 15, unconfirmed reports indicated the pedestrian died at UCLA Hospital.
