MALIBU, Calif (CNS) — A remembrance event for four Pepperdine University seniors struck and killed by a speeding BMW on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu will be held Friday on the second anniversary of the fatal collision.
The 4-5 p.m. event at the PCH Ghost Tire Memorial at Pacific Coast Highway and Webb Way will include the start of a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for the installation of memorial benches at Point Dume in honor of the four students — Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams.
This project began as Vinita Weir's wish, in memory of her daughter, then was expanded — at the request of all family members — to honor all four victims.
The site was chosen because Point Dume was one of Asha Weir's favorite places, and the inspiration for a poem she wrote, "For a Moment of Peace."
This memorial will consist of two custom benches overlooking the bluffs, beaches, and Pacific Ocean that brought solace to Weir and her friends. The benches will include plaques with a QR code linking to a digital memorial honoring the four victims and Weir's poem, according to the fundraising page.
The fundraising effort is being conducted by Streets Are For Everyone, a nonprofit traffic safety advocacy group which seeks to end traffic-caused fatalities, Fix PCH and the Emily Shane Foundation.
Fix PCH describes itself as "a group of concerned community members in Malibu and the road safety advocacy organization, Streets Are For Everyone, working to get PCH fixed."
The Emily Shane Foundation was founded following her death in 2010 and whose mother Ellen Shane, its executive director, said on its website, "was targeted by a driver, struck, and murdered at the age of 13."
The remembrance event will also include a moment of silence, the release of four white doves, a musical tribute to the victims and attendees sharing memories or reflections.
The four victims — all members of the Alpha Phi sorority — were all aged 20 or 21 when they were killed on Oct. 17, 2023.
A driver allegedly speeding westbound on Pacific Coast Highway slammed into several parked cars on the north shoulder of the roadway.
According to sheriff's officials, the impact caused the parked vehicles to strike the women, killing them at the scene. A fifth student was injured but survived.
The driver, Fraser Michael Bohm, was charged with four counts of murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
The four students were set to graduate among Pepperdine's class of 2024 and received posthumous degrees, the university said.
Rolston was a business administration major who planned to pursue an MBA in business analytics. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she graduated from Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, where she was a varsity cheerleader and pole vaulter on the track and field team.
The university described her on its website as "a kind, helpful, and joyful person … dedicated to serving others by infusing each situation with positivity."
Stewart was an international business major. Raised in New Jersey, she served as the vice president of finance for the Alpha Phi sorority while maintaining a part-time job in Seaver College's Career Center.
Following graduation, Stewart looked forward to beginning a career in the tech industry. She was remembered as "highly involved" in campus life, and described as "a selfless, thoughtful and positive person."
Weir was an English writing and rhetoric major. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, she grew up in Pennsylvania. She was a Pepperdine orientation leader, a member of the Indian Student Association, and an active member of the sorority.
According to the university, she "selflessly served the Seaver College community with her emotional intelligence and positive spirit. Upon graduation, Weir planned to use her writing ability to make an encouraging and healing impact on others."
Williams was a pre-med biology major at Seaver College. As an undergraduate, she served as vice president of the pre-veterinary club, the recruitment chair for the sorority, and the recruitment counselor for the Panhellenic Club. "A confident, determined and energetic person, Williams possessed the ability to make others feel seen, heard and valued," the university said.
"These abilities allowed her to cultivate a community of belonging at Pepperdine."
