Father hopes grief can drive change on dangerous stretch of PCH through Malibu
MALIBU, Calif. (KABC) — Pacific Coast Highway runs for 21 scenic miles through Malibu, a route of magnificent beauty – and the scene of great pain.
It’s where four young women lost their lives last week: Four sorority sisters from Pepperdine who were struck by a speeding driver as they stood along the side of the highway.
And it’s where Michel Shane lost his daughter Emily more than a decade ago.
For Michel, hearing about the latest fatalities only resurfaces the grief he felt all those years ago – and reinforces his mission to bring safety improvements to that stretch of state roadway.
“I mean all you have to be is a person who lost someone because of a traffic fatality and ask them how they feel,” Shane says.
The Malibu city council discussed safety issues on PCH at its meeting Monday night.
Michel Shane was there. As were many other residents who were fed up with speeding cars and dangerous conditions, some of whom had their own tragic stories to relate.
Emily Shane was struck and killed on PCH by a driver in 2010.
The driver was later sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after a conviction for second-degree murder. He may be slated for early release on parole later this year, according to a report in the Malibu Times.
Michel’s daughter was struck at PCH and Heathercliff, a road that is now known as Emily Shane Way.
Titled “21 Miles in Malibu,” the film is being shown at festivals but is not yet available online.
A trailer for the film can be seen here.
Pepperdine students honored in funeral service