Local and state leaders hold press conference the day after to highlight actions taken since the fatal incident
Oct. 17, 2023, changed Malibu forever. Since the tragic deaths of Pepperdine students Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams, the city and local agencies have made it their top priority to make the Pacific Coast Highway safer for all.
On the night marking one year since the fatal incident, family and friends returned to the Ghost Tire Memorial on Webb Way for a candlelight vigil and a night of remembrance.
Friends left flowers for the victims and shared a moment of grief.
Pepperdine senior Hannah Allen displayed flowers for her best friend, Deslyn Williams, and she was also there when they displayed the Ghost Tire Memorial last year.
“I feel like a different person, still in pain, a year later, but I feel like our community has never been stronger and we just do everything to honor them and to make PCH safer because of them,” Allen said. “[Williams] taught me, more than anything, to be present and to live life to the fullest.”
Allen said she was with Williams on the day she passed and was honored she was able to be with her on her last day.
“I’ll be forever grateful that I got to be with her that day, she was so happy and so full of life,” Allen said. “I feel honored and blessed that she was just so happy and herself on her last day.”
Mayor Doug Stewart was at the vigil alongside other councilmembers.
“It’s a sad day because we lost four beautiful women, but at the same time, so much has been changed because of them, and hopefully, more will be done,” Stewart said.
Pepperdine President Jim Gash was also at the candlelight vigil on Thursday.
“It’s a tough day for Pepperdine, and it’s important that we spend this day together remembering the four angels that welost,” Gash said. “We miss them very much, but we are walking together in this journey by the God who loves us and tells us that this is not the end.”
The following day, The City of Malibu held a press conference at the same location and highlighted the infrastructure and safety initiatives that have been implemented over the past year by the City of Malibu, state of California, Caltrans, and law enforcement agencies to improve safety on PCH.
The press conference focused on key initiatives such as SB 1297, recently signed into law, which will enable the installation of speed cameras at critical locations on PCH in Malibu.
The increased enforcement efforts, including the creation of a Malibu CHP Task Force and collaborative operations with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), has led to a 36 percent reduction in injury collisions on PCH.
A total of $4.1 million in short-term infrastructure improvements funded by a Director’s Order from Caltrans addressed immediate safety concerns on PCH, along with a Strategic Master Plan. This long-term plan will transform PCH from a high-speed highway into a safer, community-focused corridor, providing safe access for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
Speakers at the press conference included Senator Ben Allen, Michel Shane, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, Malibu/Lost Hills Capt. Jennifer Seetoo, representatives from Caltrans, California Highway Patrol, and David Rolston, father of Niamh Rolston, one of the four students tragically lost.
Allen thanked the agencies, community members, and the press for continuing their focus on the situation. Allen also acknowledged Michel Shane for his continued efforts in making PCH safe.
“I remember how tragic that was for our entire student and Malibu community, and it’s an honor to stand here with Michel, who’s such an advocate on this important issue, advocating and highlighting the dangers of this stretch of road,” Allen said.
Allen also mentioned the speed cameras bill that recently passed and thanked those who were involved.
“From my perspective, it’s not about giving tickets, it’s about getting people to slow down,” Allen said. “This bill almost died several times, but having you [Pepperdine students] sit before your legislators tell your stories and hear directly from you, how much this has broken your lives, how much this impacted your community, how much you cared about your friends, how preventable this was, they weren’t able to look you in the eye and see your humanity and turn you down, and that’s how we got this bill across the finish line.”
Seetoo thanked the agencies and Fix PCH team for their dedication.
“Their memories are etched in our souls,” Seetoo said. “We will make PCH safe, for the sake of our children, for the sake of the community, and for the sake of the millions of visitors we have each year.”
David Rolston spoke at the press conference and shared a few stories about his daughter Niamh and what he lost that day.
“When I see these tires, I see this interconnectedness, and community, sorrow and the loss that extends throughout the City of Malibu, Pepperdine University and across the country, and across the entire world,” he said. “We are no longer the people we were on Oct. 17, 2023, the people we were on that day, those people died with our child, we are different people now, and it’s truly not something I wish to happen to any person.”
In honor of the students, Streets Are For Everyone, along with the Emily Shane Foundation and members of the FixPCH team, have worked with the California State Parks District Superintendent to design a memorial program honoring these four girls. This space will feature four wooden picnic tables or benches, one for each of the girls, as places where others can come and enjoy Point Dume. A permanent tribute offering breathtaking panoramic views of the bluffs, beaches, and ocean they all loved. Each bench or table will have a small plaque with a QR code linking to a digital memorial of all four girls, Asha’s poem, and reminding people to drive safely, especially along PCH.
According to the GoFundMe website, each bench or picnic table will cost $8,000 to make and install ($32,000 for all four). This includes maintenance or replacement in the event of loss for the next 25 years.
“Every contribution counts. Together, we can honor Niamh, Peyton, Asha, and Deslyn in a way that celebrates the love, joy, and positive change they brought to this world,” the website (www.gofundme.com/f/never-forget-help-fund-memorial-benches-for-the-four-peppe) says. “Any funds raised beyond the memorial’s cost will be donated to the Emily Shane Foundation, and Streets Are For Everyone, under the wishes of their families. Both foundations have been the driving force to make PCH safer.”