World Day of Remembrance: 'Ghost tire memorial' in Malibu honors those killed on PCH

BySophie Flay KABC logo

Monday, November 20, 2023

World Day of Remembrance: Memorial honors those killed on PCH

More than 50 "ghost tires" were placed along Pacific Coast Highway Sunday afternoon in honor of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, a worldwide event that honors those who have been killed or seriously injured on roads.

MALIBU, Calif. (KABC) -- More than 50 "ghost tires" were placed along Pacific Coast Highway Sunday afternoon in honor of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, a worldwide event that honors those who have been killed or seriously injured on roads.

Fifty-eight people have been killed on PCH since 2010, including four Pepperdine students, who were fatally struck last month.

The Oct. 17 crash claimed the lives of Niamh Rolston, 20, Asha Weir, 21, Deslyn Williams, 21, and Peyton Stewart, 21. They were all sorority sisters and seniors at Pepperdine's Seaver College of Liberal Arts.

MORE COVERAGE | PCH crash victims, all sorority sisters, honored during Pepperdine prayer service

A prayer service was held Thursday morning as Pepperdine University mourns the loss of four students who were killed in a crash on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

This "ghost tire" memorial started on Nov. 14 with four tires on the corner of Webb Way in honor of the students. Some of their family members attended Sunday's event, urging residents and elected officials to make PCH safer.

"It is too late for you to do something to save our daughter's life or Peyton or Asha or Deslyn, but you might be able to save someone else's child, and that child might be your own," said David Rolston, the father of Niamh Rolston. "As a community member, I pledge to support efforts fires, elected officials and government agencies to fully fix PCH."

The tire placed in front of the memorial is dedicated to 13-year-old Emily Shane, who was killed on the highway in 2010 by a speeding driver as she approached a crosswalk to meet her father, Michel Shane.

"In life, from my perspective, there were only two choices while facing a challenge, even a dire one, such as the tragic, sudden, unexpected, untimely death of our child," said Emily's mother Ellen Shane. "You either pull yourself up and keep going, or you sink. For myself, there was only one option: keep going."

Emily's parents have been advocates for traffic safety and educating the public on the dangers of the current state of PCH.

Supporters also took time to sign a petition started by Michel Shane and other community members, calling on Caltrans to make changes to PCH, including lowering speed limits and increasing traffic enforcement.