Malibu Canyon was closed in both directions on Oct. 9 because a Geoffrey’s Restaurant employee was killed in a one-vehicle collision, according to Sgt. Chris Soderlund, speed was a primary factor in the accident.
At 7:56 a.m., the City of Malibu alerts informed that all lanes of Malibu Canyon were closed in both directions. The road remained closed for several hours due to ongoing utility repairs following the collision. At 12:36 p.m., the city informed residents that Malibu Canyon was reopened.
“Luis Fernando Escobar Gonzalez, 25, who was nicknamed as Fernando, was killed on Malibu Canyon as he returned from work. Fernando worked for Geoffrey’s since Oct. 14, 2017 and he was the nephew of Jose Humberto Gonzalez (Guate), a Sous Chef for Geoffrey’s for forty years, since June 1983,” Sharon Amos, Manager of Geoffrey’s Malibu, said. “Fernando will be terribly missed by the Geoffrey’s family, and we send out all the love to his Uncle Guate and his family.”
Nick Simone, a server at Geoffrey’s for more than 18 years, took Fernando under his wing, Amos said, adding that recently, Nick taught Fernando to surf like a pro in just two months.
“I spent many hours with this guy for the past two months,” Simone told Malibu Times. “He was kind of like a son to me.”
Services for Gonazlez are pending.
