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Social media influencer Summer Wheaton has been arrested and booked on suspicion of manslaughter and drunk driving for her alleged involvement in a fatal crash after she left Nobu Malibu last July 4.
The crash led to the death of ride-share driver Martin Okeke.
The
Wheaton posted a $250,000 bond and was released later the same day.
The Independent has approached LA County Sheriff’s Department and Summer Wheaton for further comment.
Authorities say that Wheaton, who has 101k Instagram followers, was driving a 2019 Mercedes-Benz when she crossed the center median on Pacific Coast Highway and crashed into a 2020 Cadillac driven by Okeke.
Both Wheaton and the passenger in the Cadillac were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Okeke was pronounced dead at the scene.
If convicted of gross vehicular manslaughter, Wheaton could face up to 10 years in prison.
She has also been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury and driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or above causing bodily injury, said Carr.
These charges can be prosecuted as misdemeanors or felonies, with each punishable by up to three years in prison.
Okeke’s family brought a wrongful death lawsuit against Wheaton in December, in which they alleged that the influencer was “severely intoxicated and impaired” at the time of the incident.
Their lawsuit also named Nobu Malibu, the Hwood Group LLC and DBDJ LLC as defendants, further alleging that Wheaton had been hired to attend the party and was “expected to consume intoxicants” as part of her contract.
An attorney for Nobu denied Wheaton had been hired by the restaurant.
Hwood Group regularly hosts a Fourth of July party at Nobu Malibu. Malibu officials told ABC7 last year that they had rejected Nobu’s request for a permit for the extravaganza since the owners didn’t comply with traffic and safety stipulations. Nevertheless, the party still went on.
In the wake of the tragedy last July, Malibu Mayor Steve Uhring issued a statement saying: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life resulting from last night’s accident. This heartbreaking incident underscores the importance of the City’s ongoing efforts to address safety on Pacific Coast Highway.”
