Local News in Brief : Agoura Hills Forbids Sales of Alcohol Near Ventura Freeway

The Agoura Hills City Council on Wednesday banned take-out sales of alcoholic beverages by new businesses within 660 feet of the Ventura Freeway, which traverses the city for five miles.

The measure, which was approved unanimously, is “an effort by both the community and its officials to improve highway safety,” said Paul Williams, director of planning and community development.

The ban follows a collision, believed to be alcohol-related, that killed four people Dec. 11. Daniel E. Murray, a 25-year-old motorist who allegedly had been drinking, was charged with second-degree murder after driving the wrong direction on the freeway and striking a car head-on, killing all four of its passengers.

First accounts indicated, apparently falsely, that Murray had purchased beer at a gasoline station before entering the freeway at Chesebro Road. However, California Highway Patrol officials later concluded that the suspect was already under the influence of alcohol before driving to Agoura Hills.

The incident provided “the stimulus to allow the community to realize that the driving-while-intoxicated problem does exist within our community,” Williams said.

“Because of our close proximity to the freeway and access to the beach, we felt that the installation of the ordinance could increase safety by the reduced availability of alcoholic beverages,” Williams said.