An influencer drove drunk and killed a man while leaving a party in Nobu Malibu, police say – then turned the tragedy into a money-spinning advert.
Summer Wheaton is accused of driving while intoxicated and killing Martin Okeke in the horror smash on July 4 last year and has now been charged, ABC7 reports.
The influencer was on her way back from Nobu’s ritzy white party in Malibu when she collided with Okeke’s vehicle, police said.
Despite initially suspending her social media account, Wheaton has since returned to Instagram to post an outrageous video where she talked about her ‘hard’ times in recent months.
During the clip hawking $35 ‘faith based’ Template to Life organizational planners, Wheaton reassures her followers that, ‘beautiful things can bloom out of despair’.
‘You know that feeling when life feels like it’s falling apart but somehow it’s the start of something really beautiful?’ Wheaton said over a video montage of her on hikes and at the beach.
‘I went through moments where I truly did not know how I pulled through,’ she gushed in the video which was captioned: ‘Things are not always as they seem’.
However, she has not posted since she surrendered to the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on Monday where she was booked on multiple charges.
Influencer Summer Wheaton has been arrested in connection with a fatal drink driving crash which killed a rideshare driver
Martin Okeke, 44, was killed when a car driven by Wheaton collided with him head on on the Pacific Coast Highway on July 4, 2024, police said
Wheaton is accused of causing the fatal collision by getting behind the wheel while intoxicated following a ritzy July 4 party
These include gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving under the influence of alcohol causing bodily injury, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed.
Okeke, a married father, was killed when Wheaton’s White Mercedes crossed the central reservation and veered head on into his vehicle as it was travelling in the opposite direction on the Pacific Coast Highway at around 10.30pm, police said.
Hours before, Wheaton had been at an exclusive party attended by the likes of likes of Mike Tyson, Blake Griffin and Jamie Foxx.
Guests were treated to performances by Tyga and Wiz Khalifa, as well as Foxx.
Okeke’s family filed a wrongful death suit in which they claimed Wheaton was, ‘severely intoxicated and impaired’ at the time of the crash.
In a GoFundMe, Okeke’s wife remembered him as ‘a loving and dedicated family man and a cherished member of the community’.
‘He was known for his kindness, generosity, and unwavering love for his family,’ the page reads.
He leaves behind his wife and their daughter who have been left devastated.
She has since taken to Instagram and used the tragedy as content for a brand deal
Okeke leaves behind his wife Chinasa and their daughter who described him as a their ’emotional rock’
‘He was not only the primary provider for our family but also our emotional rock, always offering a smile, a laugh, and a comforting word,’ his wife Chinasa Okeke wrote.
Wheaton describes herself as a wellness advocate on her Instagram, where she has more than 100,000 followers.
She is the founder of two start-ups, including a non-profit focused on self-empowerment.
