Local girl’s death prompts calls to make PCH safer

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Malibu’s Public Safety Commission grapples with how to prevent more highway fatalities. The driver charged with homicide in Emily Rose Shane’s death remains in custody.

By Jimy Tallal / Special to The Malibu Times

The death of 13-year-old Emily Rose Shane, who was struck and killed by a car while she was walking along Pacific Coast Highway on April 3, has caused immediate and strong reaction among residents and community leaders.

The driver who hit and killed Emily Rose Shane, Sina Khankhanian, 26, was arraigned in court on one count of murder last week Tuesday. The original Sheriff’s report stated that a preliminary report suggested that Khankhanian might have deliberately driven his car off the road, striking Shane, who was walking north on the highway near Heathercliff Drive, and then hit a power pole. It is not believed, however, that Shane was a target.

At a regularly scheduled meeting of the Public Safety Commission, which took place last week Wednesday, on the same day of the funeral and local memorial for Shane, City Manager Jim Thorsen and new Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station Capt. Joseph Stephen addressed the community’s concerns.

Although the three recent fatalities on Pacific Coast Highway (Santa Monica resident James Stellar died on April 2 when his car was struck by a driver who says he fell asleep at the wheel; Amelia Ordona, 74, was immediately killed when struck by several cars during predawn hours while crossing the highway on March 18) were not officially listed on the agenda, the issue was raised immediately by resident Marshall Thompson.

“There has been a dreadful public safety record on PCH the last few weeks and more uniformed presence is needed,” he said. “We have to put the funds together to have far more police presence than what we have now.”

Commission Vice-Chair Chris Frost said, “My girlfriend and I recently called in three DUIs within 10 days in the Broad Beach, Zuma and Trancas areas. It’s like the Wild West out there at times. It’s critical to put more [Sheriff’s Department] motorcycles out there with summer coming up.”

Commissioner Susan Tellem asked to make an official motion to increase the amount of money the city spends on law enforcement. Commission Chair Carol Randall suggested that Malibu “should try to get help from the state like other coastal cities.”

The city’s projected Traffic Safety Fund expenditures for the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 were approximately $805,000. Grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice enabled the city to contract for another deputy to patrol Malibu for a three-year period, beginning the current fiscal year, of which the city pays $35,000 each of those three years. After that, the city would have to bear the full costs. However, it was not detailed in the budget whether this would be specifically for traffic safety.

Thorsen explained that Malibu’s ability to increase the amount of money it spends on law enforcement would depend on whether sufficient funds were available. He said at the present time, three to five Sheriff’s cars are always on patrol in Malibu (except for a couple of early morning hours when there are only two). He noted the Public Safety Commission would have to approach the city council in order to request more money for law enforcement. Randall pointed out that additional patrol cars would not necessarily have prevented any of the recent fatalities.

There was some discussion of using both Sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol in Malibu. When both agencies are present in a particular area, CHP takes responsibility for highway patrol duties while the Sheriff’s Department focuses on crime. However, a law currently on the books prevents Malibu from using CHP, and the law would have to be changed if the city wished to pursue the idea of using both agencies.

Attendees at the meeting said four different 911 calls had been received by the local Sheriff’s station regarding the erratic behavior of the car that struck and killed Shane. There was concern about whether the accident could have been prevented if patrol cars had been close enough to locate and intercept that vehicle. The Sheriff’s Department officials said they were unable to comment on those calls until they complete their investigation.

Lt. Tracy DeMello, Malibu’s new Sheriff’s liaison, said that when someone from Malibu calls 911, the call goes to CHP dispatch and is then transferred to the local Sheriff’s station. “The 911 calls in this situation came in very close together,” she said.

Some in the meeting wondered if a direct line to the Sheriff’s station would result in faster response times.

Numerous suggestions at the commission meeting and even in recent blogs relate to changing the structure or operation of Pacific Coast Highway itself to make it safer-everything from making the highway a toll road to installing a series of tunnels under the road and bridges over the road for pedestrians. However, the committee reminded everyone that the road itself, including painted lines, signage, etc., is controlled by Caltrans and not the City of Malibu. The city does work with Caltrans on making improvements whenever possible. Randall reported that “candlesticks” (middle of the road flexible poles) would soon be installed on the highway at Las Flores and Big Rock.

In the meantime, Khankhanian from Winnetka remains in custody. Although very little is known about him, it appears he still lives with his family on a residential street, has close ties to the Iranian community, has no prior convictions and was employed for some time as a junior technician for the Winnetka Animal Clinic. The case has been assigned to Deputy District Attorney Marna Miller at the Airport Branch office. He is scheduled to appear in court May 6.