Despite recent initiatives for a safer Pacific Coast Highway, the dangerous road claimed the life of another victim in addition to three major collisions and a cyclist accident since last Tuesday night.
Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of a vehicle collision involving a pedestrian on PCH near Busch Drive around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2. Upon arriving at the scene, deputies determined the accident involved the fatality of a male pedestrian.
“The driver and passenger stayed at the scene of the accident and attempted to render aid,” Lt. John Lecrivain said.
Both directions of PCH were closed as deputies investigated the accident and diverted motorists around the scene through Guernsey Drive.
Westbound lanes reopened around 11:30 p.m., according to an email from the Sheriff’s department, and the highway was fully accessible before 7 a.m. on June 3.
As of print, the name of the male pedestrian killed in the accident had not been released, pending identification by relatives.
Saturday accidents and closures
Over the weekend, PCH lived up to its dangerous reputation with three reports of vehicle collisions and one cyclist accident. The accidents on Saturday occurred within two hours of each other, halting traffic to a standstill on a busy weekend in Malibu.
The first incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. when a cyclist sustained injuries while riding, blocking one lane of eastbound traffic for roughly 15 minutes as L.A. County Fire Department (LAFD) treated the injured rider at the scene, according to Lt. Seetoo.
Less than 10 minutes later, deputies responded to a collision in Western Malibu involving a gray Toyota Prius. The Prius was pulling out of Zumirez Road when an L.A. County fire truck smashed into the vehicle which was carrying four passengers, according to Malibu/Lost Hills sheriffs.
Westbound lanes and one eastbound lane between Paradise Cove and Zumirez Road were closed as multiagency efforts worked to free the passengers from the vehicle.
The female driver of the Prius sustained serious injuries and was airlifted with another passenger from Pepperdine University to UCLA Medical Center, while the two other passengers were treated at the scene.
A second collision was reported involving a sheriff’s deputy vehicle around 1 p.m. near Paradise Cove and Winding Way, according to Lt. Jim Royal. No injuries were reported.
While deputies physically directed traffic at the scene of the first accident involving the fire engine and Prius, a third collision occurred less than two miles away on PCH involving a LAFD paramedic truck and a Nissan Sentra, according to Lt. Seetoo.
Around 1:50 p.m., deputies responded to a vehicle collision involving an L.A. County Fire Department paramedic truck near 27700 PCH, according to Lt. Royal.
One paramedic from the LAFD truck involved in the collision was transported to the hospital with minor unknown injuries and the driver of the Nissan Sentra was also transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries, Royal said.
Five hours after the initial collision, sheriffs reported all lanes of PCH reopened.