Influencer arrested for allegedly killing man in drunken crash
By Emily Crane
An LA social media influencer has been arrested months after she allegedly killed a man in a drunken head-on crash leaving a celeb-packed Nobu party, authorities said.
Summer Wheaton, 33, who boasts over 101,000 followers on Instagram, turned herself in Monday after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a warrant for her arrest following last year’s Fourth of July fatal wreck.
The self-styled “wellness advocate” was booked for manslaughter and drunk driving, records show — capping a months-long probe into the late-night crash that killed 44-year-old rideshare driver Martin Okeke.
Summer Wheaton, 33, was booked Monday for manslaughter and drunk driving following last year's crash.
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Summer Wheaton, 33, was booked Monday for manslaughter and drunk driving following last year’s crash.
Getty Images
Authorities say the fatal collision unfolded after Wheaton left the exclusive Independence Day party at the swanky beachside restaurant in Malibu at about 10:30 p.m.
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Wheaton then allegedly drunkenly drove her 2019 Mercedes Benz across a center median on the Pacific Coast Highway and plowed head-on into Okeke’s 2020 Cadillac.
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United Airlines Flight 1544 took off from the New Jersey airport just before 6 a.m. but turned back about an hour into the flight after suffering a mechanical problem.
United Airlines flight makes emergency landing at Newark Airport
Okeke was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wheaton and a passenger in Okeke’s vehicle were both treated for injuries in a hospital.
Authorities say the fatal collision unfolded after Wheaton left the exclusive Independence Day party at the swanky beachside restaurant in Malibu at about 10:30 p.m.
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Authorities say the fatal collision unfolded after Wheaton left the exclusive Independence Day party at the swanky beachside restaurant in Malibu at about 10:30 p.m.
Getty Images for The h.wood Group
At the time, authorities said speed and/or alcohol may have caused the fatal wreck. It wasn’t immediately clear why it took months for Wheaton to be booked.
The charges come after Okeke’s family slapped a wrongful death lawsuit against Wheaton in December, alleging she was “severely intoxicated and impaired” when the collision occurred.
The suit also names Nobu Malibu, as well as hospitality company, Hwood Group LLC, who hosts an annual Fourth of July party at the trendy oceanfront restaurant.
In the wake of the crash, Malibu officials revealed they had denied Nobu’s permit request to host the party last year due to traffic and safety concerns — but the event still went ahead, the suit charges.
Summer Wheaton
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Wheaton, who boasts over 101,000 followers on Instagram, turned herself in Monday after the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a warrant for her arrest.
Getty Images
Former boxing champ Mike Tyson was among the high-profile guests at the event.
The Post reached out to Wheaton, a former real estate agent, but didn’t hear back immediately.
Months after the crash, she broke her silence on Instagram, telling her fans: “The last few months have been hard.”
“You know that feeling when life seems like it’s all falling apart, but somehow it’s a start of something really beautiful? Well, that was me.”
Wheaton has since posted a $250,000 bond, records show.
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