CHP Still Investigating Three Malibu Traffic Deaths in 48 Hours Play

Sheriff's deputies yesterday released a few details about a string of random traffic crashes that killed three people and tied up parts of the city for hours in the past few weeks.

The update came during the sheriff department's regular update to the city council. Sgt. Chris Soderlund said there were three fatalities in a 48-hour period — two in one day at PCH and Mulholland Highway.

"Two pedestrians were struck in almost the exact same spot near Leo Carrillo State Beach," Soderlund said. "Then the next day on Kanan Dume there was another fatal collision."

All three of those fatal crashes were outside the city limits of Malibu, meaning the CHP handles them. The L.A. County Sheriff's office is aware of them but is not the investigating agency.

One of the crashes on PCH may have involved a person pushing a shopping cart. But city council members could not get details about the other two.

There was also a bad head-on crash two weeks earlier, right at the Malibu Pier. No one was killed in that nasty wreck, but there were serious injuries and the road was closed for hours.

Two other crashes of note: a truck that crashed into the gas station at Rambla Pacifico, and a three-car crash involving a lifeguard truck on PCH near the Zuma Beach parking entrance, in that knot of conflicting left turn lanes at the Zuma Beach entrance.