I’m sure by now you have all heard about the much publicized predicament actor/director Mel Gibson got himself into after being pulled over on California’s scenic Pacific Coast Highway last week Friday. But, did you know the Academy Award-winning director is only the latest in a long line of celebs that have run into trouble (some literary) on the infamous stretch of highway?
In 1996, Actor Robert Downey Jr. was arrested after officers stopped him for speeding on the winding highway and found cocaine, heroin and a gun in his car. Then in 2002 a wild-haired, disheveled Nick Nolte became the butt of many a late night TV host when his mug shot went public after he was caught weaving along the road under the influence of the drugs.
Those who have driven on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) know that the road has a number of blind spots and hairpin curves. Residents who live in the area call it “an accident waiting to happen.”
“At best, stone cold sober, and not fatigued and at 2:30 a.m., it is a difficult road to drive,” Arnold G. York, publisher of the local newspaper, The Malibu Times told reporters covering the Gibson story. “No traffic engineer in his right mind would have designed it this way.”
The posted speed limit along the PCH is 45 mph through Malibu, but officers say few drivers ever heed it. Speed, alcohol, drugs, and in the case of actor Ben Vereen, even bad driving can lead to accidents along the scenic highway. In June 1993, a Chevrolet Suburban struck Vereen when he tried to cross the highway to get to a friend’s house in the dark. While he was severely injured, he did eventually recover. But Vereen isn’t alone; actresses Shannen Doherty and Bridget Fonda also survived traffic accidents that occurred on the PCH.
And, believe it or not the highway has even thrust a “no-name” into the media spotlight:
According to police reports, “Bo Stefan Eriksson, now known in Malibu as the “Ferrari Guy,” was driving a rare Ferrari Enzo at 162 mph when he lost control of it one morning last February. He hit a power pole and destroyed a vehicle valued at $1.5 million.”
Not exactly what I would want to be remembered for… how about you?