World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Pacific Coast Highway

Nov 19

The Malibu community group Fix PCH, of which Streets Are For Everyone is a part, hosted a poignant World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday, November 19th, on PCH in Malibu. The event was attended by approximately 100 people, including family and friends of the 4 Pepperdine girls killed by a speeding driver on October 17th, 2023; friends and family of Emily Shane, killed by a speeding driver in 2010; civic leaders; elected officials; community members and other families affected by traffic violence, both along PCH and elsewhere in the city.

58 Ghost Tires were placed as a memorial to the 58 lives lost on the small stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu since 2010 when 13-year-old Emily Shane was killed by a speeding, erratic driver. This included four tires placed to memorialize the recent tragic deaths of Pepperdine students: 20-year-old Niamh Rolston, 21-year-old Peyton Stewart, 21-year-old Asha Weir, and 21-year-old Deslyn Williams, who were killed on PCH by a driver who lost control while speeding at 104 MPH.

Sheriff Captain and CHP Captain helping place Ghost Tires in honor of those lost on PCH since 2010.

Barry Stewart and his wife with the Ghost Tire of daughter, Peyton Stewart.

Michel Shane installing a Ghost Tire for his daughter, Emily Rose Shane, killed by a speeding driver on PCH in 2010.

David Rolston and his wife with the Ghost Tire of daughter Niamh Rolston.

58 Ghost tires line a vacant lot on PCH in memory of the 58 lives lost since 2010.

Speakers at the event included the mother and father of Emily Shane, Ellen and Michel, who spoke eloquently about their loss and resulting activities, such as Ellen’s mission to help middle school students in underserved communities across Los Angeles & Ventura Counties through the Emily Shane Foundation. Michel produced the film 21 Miles in Malibu, released this year about the dangerous and devastating 21-mile stretch of PCH through Malibu.

In addition to the Shane family, the family and friends of the four Pepperdine students spoke about the unnecessary loss of lives on the PCH and demanded immediate changes from Caltrans. To quote Brigitte Thompson, best friend of all four girls and roommate to 3 of them:

Brigitte Thompson, best friend of 4 Pepperdine women who were killed by a speeding driver on PCH

“Today is heavy. As I look out at this sea of 58 white tires, I feel a lot of different emotions. I feel empty. Empty knowing 4 of them replace the smiles, laughs, and amazing hearts of my bestest friends— Deslyn Williams, Niamh Rolston, Asha Weir, and Peyton Stewart. I feel heartbroken. Heartbroken knowing that 54 more families and friends feel the same type of emptiness I feel. But mainly, I feel angry. I feel angry, knowing that it didn’t have to happen. I feel angry knowing it could’ve been avoided. I feel outraged knowing that if Caltrans just simply did their job and kept this community safe, I wouldn’t have to move out of my apartment because the pain of the 3 empty rooms was too piercing. I wouldn’t have to attend my 4 best friends' funerals at the age of 21. And 58 families and 58 friends wouldn’t have to feel the unimaginable pain and loss of their loved ones.

“Caltrans, today I speak to you. I speak to you with immense amounts of anger and pain. But I don’t speak to you OUT of anger and pain. I speak to you with a logical awareness that you are NOT doing enough. In fact, with the awareness that you are not doing anything at all. PCH needs to be fixed. And it needs to be fixed now. Caltrans, it needs to be fixed before it’s your best friends, your sisters, and your daughters. But right now, it seems you won’t care until it is yours. Because when it's yours, you won’t be able to stand the unbearable pain every second of your days. And maybe you think I cross a line by saying that. But I think you crossed a line when you didn’t do your job and keep my best friends and 54 others from being killed.

“So I said it before, and I will say it again. Because clearly, you didn’t hear me the first time. FIX PCH. And fix it now! These 58 lives should’ve never been taken, and they never had to be.”

Malibu city officials, representatives from Supervisor Linsey Horvath’s office, Senator Ben Allen’s office, and the Lost Hills Sheriff's department led by the indefatigable Jennifer Seetoo all pledged to work together to take effective actions to make PCH safer. Notably missing was representation from Caltrans.

Captain Jennifer Seetoo signing the pledge to fix PCH.

Civic officials and elected's representatives at World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims Pacific Coast Highway, but missing was any Caltrans representation.

A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped make this event possible.

This event was pulled off with the determined efforts of the Fix PCH Team, composed of Keegan Gibbs, Michel Shane, Tina Segel, Chris Frost, Kathy Eldon, Dermot Stoker, Chris Wizner, Damian Kevitt, and Kylea-Rose Kevitt, as well as Captain Jennifer Seetoo. We look forward to continuing our work with this awesome group of advocates!

We also had volunteers from Streets Are For Everyone who helped with the event on the 19th of November and did a spectacular job. So thank you so very much to all of you. You are making a difference on the streets of Los Angeles.

Finally, as we all share Malibu’s beautiful coastline, please sign Michel Shane’s petition and demand Caltrans fix PCH for all of us!