MALIBU, CA. (THECOUNT) — Social media influencer Summer Wheaton has been identified as the driver in a tragic Fourth of July car crash following an unpermitted party at Nobu in Malibu, which defied a city permit denial. Wheaton, a self-styled “wellness advocate,” attended a star-studded bash hosted by Bootsy Bellows nightclub, featuring celebs such as Wiz Khalifa, Tyga, and Mike Tyson.
After leaving the party, Wheaton, 32, allegedly crossed a center median on the Pacific Coast Highway, resulting in a head-on collision between her 2019 Mercedes Benz and a 2020 Cadillac. The driver of the Cadillac was pronounced dead at the scene, while Wheaton and the Cadillac’s passenger were hospitalized with injuries.
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The crash occurred around 10:30 p.m. after Wheaton left the unauthorized event at Nobu. Despite being explicitly denied a permit by Malibu city officials due to non-compliance with traffic and safety conditions, Nobu proceeded with the event. Malibu city manager Steve McClary stated that holding the party without a permit violated municipal code, subjecting Nobu to code enforcement actions.
Preliminary investigations indicate that speed and/or alcohol may have played a role in the fatal accident, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Formerly a licensed real estate agent, Wheaton has garnered over 100,000 followers on Instagram by promoting healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Following the incident, she made her Instagram account private and removed her personal website.
“The city attorney responded advising them that doing so would constitute a willful violation of the city’s municipal code and would subject them to code enforcement action,” McClary said in a public meeting Monday.
The incident remains under investigation, with Malibu’s code enforcement department handling the case against Nobu.
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