California students Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams were pronounced dead at the scene
Footage shows aftermath of Malibu crash that killed four Pepperdine students
Pepperdine University seniors Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams died Tuesday after a driver lost control of his BMW on the Pacific Coast Highway, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. (FOX11)
A speeding BMW allegedly killed four Pepperdine University seniors who were walking in Malibu, California, Tuesday night along a treacherous stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, police said.
The university identified the victims as Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams, who were all students at Seaver College School of the Arts.
"To the students who loved, lived with, and were in community with the departed members of our Pepperdine family, my heart is broken with yours," Pepperdine's president, Jim Gash, said in a statement Wednesday. "I join you in your grief as we process this profound loss."
FLORIDA SHERIFF DESCRIBES AFTERMATH OF DEADLY SUV, TRAIN COLLISION AS 'CARNAGE'
Pepperdine University seniors from left to right: Niahm Rolston, Asha Weir, Deslyn Williams and Peyton Stewart. They were killed Tuesday by an out-of-control BMW on the Pacific Coast Highway, according to authorities. (Instagram/LinkedIn)
Officials with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said at a press conference Wednesday that the four students were killed, and two others were injured at 8:30 p.m. when 22-year-old Fraser Michael Bohm lost control of his dark-colored BMW as he drove on the Pacific Coast Highway.
He swerved onto the shoulder, hitting three parked vehicles which then slammed into the four nearby students, Sheriff's Capt. Jennifer Seetoo told reporters.
The women were pronounced dead at the scene.
Pepperdine University seniors Deslyn Williams, left, and Niamh Rolston were killed Tuesday night alongside two of their friends in a collision on the Pacific Coast Highway.
Bohm was arrested for vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and released pending the outcome of the investigation, officials said. A DUI probe is also underway. The driver sustained minor injuries.
The collision occurred roughly four miles north of the campus on a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway known as "Dead Man’s Curve" for the number of accidents there.
College seniors Niamh Rolston and Asha Weir were killed Tuesday night in Malibu, California, by an out-of-control BMW, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. (LinkedIn)
Rolston, a Los Angeles native, was a business major at Pepperdine and was set to graduate with the class of 2024, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Stewart was vice president of finance at Alpha Phi and was also pursuing a degree in business, her LinkedIn profile says.
Niamh Rolston and four of her friends were killed Tuesday night when a BMW crashed into a row of cars which struck the Pepperdine University seniors, according to authorities. Debris left behind after the crash, right. (Instagram/Ryan Sun via AP)
Weir's LinkedIn page says she was from Harleysville, Pennsylvania, was the executive administrator of Alpha Phi and was pursuing a degree in English.
Fox News Digital was not immediately able to verify Williams's professional profile.
A car damaged in the tragic Malibu wreck that killed four Pepperdine University seniors on Tuesday when a BMW lost control on the Pacific Coast Highway. (FOX11)
The Santa Monica Observer reported that the four slain students were sorority sisters, and three of them were roommates. Alpha Phi did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
"Indeed, one of the greatest mysteries of life is when and why our time on this earth is cut short," Gash said in his statement. "In such times, we hold firm to our faith in the God who sustains and nourishes us even when—and especially when—we experience life’s most significant losses."
Mitch Picasso contributed to this report.
Rebecca Rosenberg is a veteran journalist and book author with a focus on crime and criminal justice. Email tips to
