Police ID Victim in New Year's Death on PCH

The 23-year-old man killed New Year's Day on Pacific Coast Highway between Malibu and Santa Monica has been identified by police as West Los Angeles resident Jeffrey Herle.

Herle was hit by a car about 2:55 a.m. in the southbound lane of the PCH, just north of Temescal Canyon Road at the intersection of Tahiti Avenue.

"The pedestrian was walking along the west shoulder and somehow, stepped into the southbound lane on the PCH and was struck by a vehicle heading southbound," said Los Angeles Police Department officer Orlin Osborne said.

The driver of the vehicle, a 1999 Lexus sedan driven by an Inglewood man, stopped and was cooperative with investigators, according to Osborne.

Investigators are looking into whether the motorist's driver's license was expired, Osborne said. He is not facing criminal charges at this time.

Osborne said Herle was probably returning from a party when he was hit. He "had a band on his wrist from a local restaurant... we're not sure if he went to another location from whatever establishment he was at with friends."

Public safety personnel were nearby at the time of the accident. They were investigating a two vehicle crash near Temescal Canyon Road, Osborne added.

Traffic was detoured via Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road until about 8 a.m.