MALIBU, Calif.—A social media personality and healthcare advocate was behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz involved in a head-on crash that killed another motorist on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu the night of July 4, sheriff’s officials confirmed July 9.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday that Summer Wheaton, who has more than 100,000 followers on Instagram, was involved in the crash that occurred at about 10:20 p.m. Thursday on Pacific Coast Highway near Carbon Canyon Road.
“A preliminary investigation revealed that a 2019 Mercedes-Benz, traveling eastbound on Pacific Coast Highway, crossed the center median for unknown reasons and collided head-on with a 2020 Cadillac traveling westbound,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement following the crash. “As a result of the collision, the driver of the Cadillac succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The passenger of the Cadillac and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz were transported to a local hospital and treated for non-life- threatening injuries.”
The Cadillac driver who died was identified earlier as 44-year-old Martin Okeke.
Ms. Wheaton’s Instagram account was listed as private as of Tuesday morning, as was her account on TikTok. Her LinkedIn page lists her as the founder of Survivor’s Kit, a nonprofit “dedicated to making healthcare simple and more accessible to everyone.” It also lists her as a Nike Women fitness model.
There was no indication that Ms. Wheaton had been cited or arrested in connection with the crash. In a statement Tuesday, sheriff’s officials said, “Unfortunately, there is no update to provide at this time, but the investigation is still ongoing.”
The Malibu Times reported over the weekend that sheriff’s officials were investigating whether Ms. Wheaton had been in attendance the night of the crash at a “Red, White and Bootsy” party the night of July 4 at Nobu restaurant, located west of the crash site. Among those in attendance at the event were Wiz Khalifa, Mike Tyson and Tyga, according to the paper.
According to ABC7, Malibu City Manager Steve McClary said during Monday’s Malibu City Council meeting that the city had rejected the restaurant’s request for a permit to hold the July 4 event due to concerns about traffic and safety, however, the event was held anyway, possibly opening the eatery to code enforcement action.
Pacific Coast Highway has been the subject of intense scrutiny over safety in recent months, sparked in part by an October crash that killed four Pepperdine students—Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams.
The four students, who were all 20 and 21 years old, were killed on the night of Oct. 17, when a driver who was allegedly speeding west on Pacific Coast Highway slammed into several parked cars on the north shoulder of the roadway. Sheriff’s officials said those parked cars struck the four women, killing them at the scene.
The driver, Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, has been charged with four counts of murder and four counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. Mr. Bohm’s attorney has contended that Mr. Bohm was the victim of a road-rage incident on Pacific Coast Highway and was being chased when the crash occurred.
At a recent news conference, local and state officials said 59 people have been killed along the Malibu portion of the highway since 2010. Authorities said infrastructure improvements are being made to bolster safety on the roadway, and the California Highway Patrol has stepped up its presence to boost enforcement.
Infrastructure improvements have included speed limit markings on the road, safety corridor signs, digital “speed feedback” signs, curve warnings, and pedestrian signal upgrades. A bill is pending in the state Legislature that would allow the installation of speed cameras on the highway.
