MALIBU, Calif. – A reckless driver in Malibu who was determined to be racing faster that 100 mph has been re-arrested and charged with murder after plowing into four college coeds last week, according to prosecutors.
Former high school baseball standout Fraser Bohm was initially arrested following the quadruple traffic fatality on Tuesday, Oct. 17. However, he was soon released so investigators could have more time to adequately prepare the case for prosecutors, Law Officer reported at the time.
Bohm, 22, was re-arrested Tuesday, Oct. 24, and charged with four counts each of malice murder and vehicular manslaughter for the deaths of Pepperdine University sorority sisters, Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams. All of the women were seniors in college. Bohm pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday to the charges, reported KTLA.
The horrific crash occurred on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on Oct. 17 at about 8:30 p.m. when Bohm lost control of his 2016 BMW. The vehicle slammed into three parked cars before ricocheting and fatally striking the victims, who were standing near the parked vehicles along the road, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.
“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. I join you in your grief as we process this profound loss,” Pepperdine president Jim Gash told the school community in a statement.
Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams were killed when authorities say a speeding driver hit them on Pacific Coast Highway roughly four miles from Pepperdine University.
Bohm, a former high school baseball prospect, who played for the Oaks Christian School, was reportedly speeding westbound at 104 mph in a 45 mph zone, according to investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
This specific area of roadway is known as “Dead Man’s Curve” due to the high volume of fatal collisions, the prosecutor told Judge Diego Edber in court on Wednesday, reported Fox News Digital.
Asha Weir (left) and Niamh Rolston (right) died after being struck by the out-of-control 22-year-old driver of a BMW. (Instagram / @niamhrolston)
Deslyn Williams was one of the four women fatally struck by the driver. She was declared dead at the scene. (Instagram / @deslyn.williams)
Pepperdine University student Peyton Stewart was killed in the quadruple traffic fatality. (LinkedIn / Peyton Stewart)
Witnesses said Bohm exited the badly crunched BMW unharmed and was tackled to the ground by several people, KTLA reported.
All four women were pronounced dead at the scene. Two additional victims were transported to local hospitals with unknown injuries.
The devastation took place about four miles from Pepperdine’s picturesque coastal campus in Southern California.
A prayer service was held for members of the Pepperdine community on Thursday following the sorority sisters deaths, the New York Post reported.
During an interview with detectives after the wreck, Bohm reportedly admitted that he might have been texting when he crashed.
Prosecutor Nathan Bartos said in court that Bohm knew the neighborhood has a high concentration of homes and businesses and disregarded the risks when he raced down Pacific Coast Highway at more than twice the speed limit.
Bohm’s attorney, Michael Kraut, claims he was fleeing from a road rage incident with another driver and should not face murder charges, KTLA reported.
Bohm, who lives with his mother in a $8.7 million Malibu estate with a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean, has remained in custody since his arrest on Tuesday. His bail was reduced from $8 million to $4 million, FOX News reported.
The BMW Bohm was driving when the crash occurred was a gift for his 18th birthday, according to a 2018 divorce agreement. His mother, Brooke Bohm, made a $25,000 down payment for the car and the balance was to be paid by his father, Chris Bohm, who works for a medical technology company, according to the couple’s settlement.
The car was to be transferred to Bohm when he officially became an adult, the records show. The family also owns a $700,000 vacation home in Palm Desert, which is next to Palm Springs.
