OAN’s Taylor Tinsley
12:50 PM – Tuesday, October 31, 2023
A California baseball player who was charged with the killing of four Pepperdine University students after he allegedly lost control of his BMW on the Pacific Coast Highway, has been set free after posting a $4 million bond.
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22-year-old Fraser Bohm posted bond on Friday. He pleaded not guilty to killing Pepperdine seniors Niamh Rolsten, 20, Peyton Stewart, 21, Asha Weir, 21, and Deslyn Williams, 21.
On October 17th Bohm was allegedly darting his red BMW down the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu at about 104 mph when he lost control and crashed into multiple parked vehicles, striking the four sorority sisters who were walking nearby.
22-year-old Bohm was arrested at the scene for gross vehicular manslaughter, but was released from custody just hours later as officers investigated further.
He was rearrested on murder and vehicular manslaughter charges but only spent three days in jail before posting bond.
“The investigation revealed the defendant knew his actions were dangerous to human life and directly acted with conscious disregard for human life,” said L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon.
Bohm’s defense attorney, Michael Kraut, argues he was a victim of road rage and that the crash occurred because Bohm was being chased by another driver.
“We have evidence that the sheriff’s department did not want to take that clearly shows that there was a road rage incident… this person chased him and tried to push him off the side of the road, and when he accelerated to get away from him that’s when the accident occurred,” said Kraut.
Officers said there’s no evidence suggesting road rage played a role in the crash.
Both left the crash site scratch-freed and witnesses even claim he tried to flee the scene but was stopped by onlookers.
The District Attorney’s office said if convicted, Bohm could face multiple life sentences.
The crash site is reportedly known to locals as “Dead Man’s Curve.” Advocates for traffic safety recently held demonstrations calling for the dangerous roadway to undergo improvements, such as installing speed cameras or increasing police presence in the area.
Michael Shane, whose daughter was killed on PCH in 2010, told KTTV not much has changed since his daughter’s death and it’s sad that four students had to die in order for city officials to act on making improvements.
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