Driver in fatal Malibu crash identified as 32-year-old social media influencer
The driver of the car that collided head-on with a Cadillac SUV in Malibu on Thursday, leaving one person dead and two injured, has been identified as a “wellness advocate” and social media influencer.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department alleged that Summer Wheaton was behind the wheel of a 2019 Mercedes Benz that crossed the center median and crashed into a 2020 Cadillac headed west on Pacific Coast Highway.
The driver of the Cadillac was killed at the scene. Wheaton and a passenger in the Cadillac were taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries.
Formerly a licensed real estate agent, Wheaton most recently marketed herself as a “founder, speaker and wellness advocate” who supports healthy eating and lifestyle choices.
On Instagram, she has more than 100,000 followers. But after she was identified as the driver in the deadly crash, Wheaton’s Instagram account was made private.
A 14-year-old girl was fatally struck by a car as she was walking in Newport Beach over the Memorial Day weekend, according to local police.
On her personal website, Wheaton is listed as CEO and founder of “two innovative startups,” including one company that markets vending machines with healthy snacks.
The site, where Wheaton markets her businesses and herself for speaking engagements, was also removed from public view by Tuesday. That day, its web address listed it as a private site accessible only to the owner.
Wheaton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The crash is still under investigation, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Department said.
The deadly crash occurred about 10:20 p.m. along the 2200 block of Pacific Coast Highway, at about the same time that Nobu Restaurant was holding a party that had not obtained the required city permits, the Malibu Times reported.
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