A 60-year-old man killed in a crash that closed a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu was identified Wednesday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim of the crash as Derek Schimming.
The crash, which was reported at 2 p.m. Tuesday and closed the coastal highway between Paradise Cove Road and Winding Way for several hours, involved a gray Honda Civic and a white van.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Lost Hills Station.
It was the latest in a series of deadly crashes on PCH, and occurred one week after state and local officials gathered along the roadway to tout safety improvements being made along the roadway and announce the start of a public safety outreach campaign.
“It is with heavy hearts that the city of Malibu marks another fatal traffic collision on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on May 14,” according to a statement released by the city Wednesday. “Malibu sends its condolences to all those impacted by this tragedy. Every life lost is one too many. Improving PCH safety remains a top priority for the city, and we continue to work with our legislative partners, law enforcement, state partner agencies, and the community to find solutions. The city urges all users of PCH to be part of the effort: slow down, drive safely, and help save lives.”
Officials noted at last week’s event that between 2010 and 2024, 59 people have been killed along the Malibu portion of PCH, with speed the most common contributing factor in those deaths. Authorities said there were 220 crashes on PCH between Ventura County and the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica last year, killing seven people.
Among the safety measures being implemented along the highway are the addition of three full-time California Highway Patrol officers and a part-time sergeant in the 21-mile PCH corridor to step up enforcement. Other improvements include speed limit markings on the road, safety corridor signs, digital “speed feedback” signs, curve warnings and pedestrian signal upgrades.