Instagram influencer Summer Wheaton pleads not guilty in deadly Malibu coast crash case - Santa Monica Mirror

Instagram influencer Summer Wheaton pleads not guilty in the deadly Malibu coast crash case as legal proceedings continue after a fatal 2024 collision. Wheaton, 35, entered a not-guilty plea during an arraignment in Van Nuys Superior Court. Her defense argued that the rideshare driver was at fault for the head-on crash that prosecutors say involved suspected drunk driving. Authorities allege she left a holiday party at Nobu Malibu and, after crossing the center median onto oncoming traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway, struck a westbound vehicle. The crash involved her 2019 Mercedes-Benz sedan and a 2020 Cadillac SUV driven by 44-year-old Martin Okeke, a rideshare driver, who died. Prosecutors charged Wheaton with vehicular manslaughter and two counts of driving under the influence. The article also notes her social media following fell by about 5,500 users from a peak of 100,000, following the incident.