Summer Wheaton blames dead driver for 'drunken' head-on car crash
Influencer Summer Wheaton, charged with killing a man after driving drunk following a star-studded Malibu party, has claimed that the fatal crash was the victim's fault, not hers.
In court documents seen by DailyMail.com, she accuses the family of the dead man Martin Okeke, 44, of fraud for filing a wrongful death civil lawsuit against her.
Wheaton, 33, also said Kelechi Okeke had not 'sustained any injury, damages or loss' due to her actions, despite her husband being killed on July 4 last year.
She has also asked a judge to award cash damages and legal fees to her, and not the victim's widow and child.
Wheaton pleaded not guilty in March to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two other charges.
They resulted from the accident in which the Mercedes she was driving after a party at an upscale Nobu, crossed the center median of Pacific Coast Highway and collided head-on with ride-share driver Martin Okeke's Cadillac.
His widow, Kelechi, and other family members filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking unspecified cash damages from Wheaton, Nobu and the party's organizer, Hollywood Group.
She claims Wheaton was 'severely intoxicated and impaired' at the time of the accident.
The influencer has filed a response at LA Superior Court, denying 'each, every and all of the allegations' against her.
She claims Martin Okeke, 44, acted 'carelessly, recklessly and negligently'.
Wheaton's reply went on, 'the injuries and damages alleged to have been sustained by the plaintiff, if any, were solely and proximately caused and contributed to by the intentional conduct or omission or refusal to act by plaintiffs.
'Plaintiff failed to exercise reasonable care in protecting his own interests as alleged in the complaint.'
Wheaton goes on to allege that the Okeke family's claim for damages, 'is barred due to fraud, intentional and/or negligent concealment of material facts by plaintiff.'
And she ends her seven-page court filing by asking the court to award Okeke's family 'nothing' in damages and instead award her 'judgment…and attorney fees'.
In the July 4 pile-up, police say Okeke died from his injuries after Wheaton's White Mercedes, speeding at 81mph in a 45mph limit, crossed the central reservation and veered into his Cadillac traveling in the opposite direction on Pacific Coast Highway at around 10.30pm.
Wheaton had earlier attended the Red, White & Bootsy party at Nobu, where celebrities including Mike Tyson and Blake Griffin were guests. Jamie Foxx, Tyga, and Wiz Khalifa provided entertainment.
Okeke's family says Wheaton drove herself to the Nobu party and valet parked there.
And in their wrongful death lawsuit, they also named Nobu and the party planner Hollywood Group because, they say, both 'knew that Wheaton was intoxicated, impaired and unsafe to drive her vehicle but still provided Wheaton with her keys and car.'
At her arraignment in March, Wheaton - who is currently free on $230,000 bail - was ordered to refrain from drinking and to wear an alcohol-detecting ankle bracelet.
Her attorney Elon Berk objected to his client being subjected to the ankle bracelet, telling the court that Wheaton had no previous alcohol-related convictions or charges.
But Commissioner Sarah Ellenberg overruled him 'in the interest of public safety' because 'the charges against Wheaton are very serious.'
In addition to her alcohol ban, the commissioner also cautioned Wheaton not to take non-prescription drugs.
She has another criminal court hearing scheduled for June 11.
But despite posting bail, the former real estate agent has come under fire for turning the tragedy into a money-spinning venture.
Despite initially suspending her social media account, she has since taken to Instagram again to post a self-serving 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?' she says 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 gushes in the video which was captioned: 'Things are not always as they seem'.
Okeke's death and the subsequent charges against Wheaton came amid an ongoing campaign by Malibu residents for lower speed limits and stricter safety regulations on the notorious Pacific Coast Highway following the deaths of four Pepperdine University co-eds there in an October 2023 crash.
Sixty people have died on PCH since 2010.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
Man who murdered uncle and hid body in Batley bank jailed
A drug dealer who kidnapped and murdered his uncle before hiding his body in a bank vault has been jailed for more than 34 Badshah, a 39-year-old bus driver from Bradford, was taken to a disused bank on Commercial Street in Batley by his nephew, Tahir Syed, on 30 November 2019 over a missing sum of money, Leeds Crown Court Badshah was beaten to death and his body was found behind a false wall in a vault four weeks 42, of no fixed address, was found guilty of murder, conspiracy to kidnap and drugs conspiracy offences on Monday and sentenced at the same court earlier. Syed and his associates had imported tonnes of cocaine and heroin to the UK in more than 30 shipments between 2016 to 2021, the court Thomas Bayliss KC said Mr Badshah had been asked to "hide a large amount of cash" by Syed, who then suspected Mr Badshah of stealing £600,000 from court was told how Mr Badshah was kidnapped from his mother's address in Mayo Road, Bradford, in a Mercedes at around 01:35 GMT on the day of the murder and taken to the bank, where he was beaten with a metal lied to his family, the court heard, telling them that his uncle was still alive, knowing that in reality his naked body had been stored in the disused Bayliss said: "I am quite sure that your primary purpose, was to detain and interrogate Asghar Badshah, in order to ascertain where the missing money was."Syed had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess criminal was jailed for a minimum term of 34 years and 153 days, taking into account almost four years already spent behind bars since being extradited from Turkey. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
CCTV captures terrifying moment hired thug with sawn-off shotgun opens fire at homes
Kieran Morgan, 30, was caught on camera wielding a sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun opening fire in broad daylight. Astonishing video footage has emerged showing a hitman discharging a firearm at residences amidst a fierce gangland dispute. Kieran Morgan, 30, was filmed brandishing a sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun and firing it in broad daylight, as well as during the early hours in another horrifying assault. In a third incident, he discharged a shotgun in a bustling takeaway, all within a matter of weeks. The orchestrator of these attacks was Zaki Shazad, 22, who was acting on behalf of unidentified higher-ranking figures in the underworld, Minshull Street Crown Court was informed. The judge remarked that the shootings bore 'all the hallmarks of a dispute between serious organised criminals'. Remarkably, no one was injured in any of the incidents, which took place in March and April 2023. Morgan has now been handed an 18-year prison sentence, while Shazad has been sentenced to 16 years behind bars, reports the Manchester Evening News. The initial shooting occurred on March 12 on Doric Avenue in Heald Green, Stockport. Morgan, accompanied by another man and clad in a mask and dark attire, approached a house and fired a shotgun at it. He then lobbed a homemade explosive device towards the property, but it rebounded off a wall. Morgan retrieved it and threw it again at a higher angle, causing it to detonate like a firework. Greater Manchester Police later confirmed through forensic testing that the device contained hydrochloric acid. Morgan subsequently made his escape from the scene in a Mercedes. The second shooting occurred in broad daylight on Wilmslow Road in Heald Green on April 21, as a family, including a child, were preparing their car for Eid festivities. Morgan arrived at the scene in the afternoon carrying a hold-all bag that contained the shotgun. Donning a face mask, he fired shots towards the property. Although no one was injured, the house sustained damage. The third incident unfolded at the Drip burger bar on Kingsway nine days later, on April 30. Morgan entered the restaurant and immediately discharged one shot, followed by another shortly after. One bullet struck a wall next to a TV, and the other hit the counter. Staff members were behind the counter at the time, and customers were present in the front of the restaurant. Prosecutor David Farley stated that those inside were 'clearly and understandably terrified'. Morgan made his escape on a bicycle. Shazad was identified as the 'organiser' of the shootings. Snapchat messages exchanged between the pair revealed that Morgan was to receive £1,000 from Shazad for the 'jobs'. Shazad, of Ranford Road, Levenshulme, was convicted of conspiring to possess a firearm with intent to endanger life. Morgan, of Petworth Avenue, Chadderton, admitted to the same offence. Police announced that the three shootings were connected following receipt of intelligence. They scrutinised CCTV footage which aided in identifying Morgan, who was spotted wearing a Canada Goose jacket. He subsequently posted a photo of himself on social media donning the same jacket. His face was also captured on CCTV footage after he removed his balaclava. Additionally, Shazad received a sentence for attempting to smuggle cannabis to a relative in HMP Berwyn, North Wales. He pleaded guilty to conveying a List A item into prison and possessing cannabis. Defending Morgan, Keith Harrison stated that the defendant has struggled with "recurring mental health problems". David Bentley, representing Shazad, claimed that his client was involved in assisting Morgan but was not the mastermind. Following the hearing, Detective Inspector Lee Newburn of GMP commented: "Violence, particularly this kind of revenge violence, will not be tolerated on the streets of Manchester. We have seen two dangerous individuals locked up for their parts in a number of firearms discharges targeting properties where innocent people were present. "It is miraculous that no-one was seriously injured during these firearms discharges, but they could very easily have been. One of the victims of these shootings has described to me how scared she now is to go out in public and just how shaken she is about what happened. Nobody should be made to feel like this. "We continue to work very closely with the communities in and around Greater Manchester to ensure that we protect them from this kind of violence, and we are grateful for the intelligence that we receive from them in relation to illegal activity on a daily basis. "We also work closely with the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which is a multi-agency team we are part of, and we seek to prevent violence from occurring by addressing underlying issues and educating those who may be at risk of re-offending. "We do this by providing valuable input in prevention work that our partners are carrying out on an ongoing basis, working behind the scenes to manage serious incidents before they occur. That is why we are asking, if you know anyone who is using, or possesses, an illegal firearm, we urge you to get in touch with us as, for each firearm we recover, that's potentially a life saved."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Family's damning 13-word remark as murderer killed after 30-year death row term
Carmen Gayheart's family expressed their reaction after Anthony Wainwright received a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke for the woman's kidnap, rape and murder Family members of a woman kidnapped, raped and murdered by a thug expressed their frustration they had to wait 30 years for his execution on death row. Anthony Wainwright was finally executed on Tuesday by injection at Florida State Prison near Starke more than three deacdes after killing young mum Carmen Gayheart. He had several appeals during this period, something Ms Gayheart's family called "ridiculous" in interviews with the media after the execution. Maria David, Ms Gayheart's older sister, said: "I'm looking forward to... never having to think about Anthony Wainwright ever again" in a scathing 13-word remark following the execution, which saw Wainwright, 54, die within 15 minutes of the jab. The yob shuddered his shoulders, blinked and took several deep breaths before becoming completely still at 6.14pm in the jail. He had made a final statement, but the words were inaudible from the witness room. READ MORE: Death row inmate Matthew Lee Johnson's last words as he's executed for setting gran on fire Wainwright and Richard Hamilton, the other man convicted in Ms Gayheart's killing, escaped from prison in April 1994, stole a green Cadillac and burgled a home the next morning, taking guns and money. Then they drove to Florida and when the Cadillac began to have problems in Lake City, they decided to steal another vehicle. They confronted Ms Gayheart, a community college student, on April 27, 1994, as she loaded groceries into her blue Ford Bronco, according to court documents. They forced her into the vehicle at gunpoint and drove off. They raped her in the backseat and then took her out of the vehicle and tried to strangle her before shooting her twice in the back of the head, court filings say. They dragged her body several dozen yards from the road and drove off. The two men were arrested in Mississippi the next day after a shootout with police. A jury in 1995 convicted Wainwright of murder, kidnapping, robbery and rape and unanimously recommended that he be sentenced to death. Hamilton was also sentenced to death, but he died on death row in January 2023 at the age of 59. Speaking after the execution, Ms David added: "It's ridiculous how many appeals they get. You have to relive it again because they have to tell the whole story again." Both Ms David's parents have died, and were unable to see justice. Ms Gayheart was training to become a nurse, her sibling said. Over the years, Ms David has kept a book where she put every court filing, from the initial indictment through the latest appeals. She continued: "I'm looking forward to getting the last pieces of paperwork that say he's been executed to put into the book and never having to think about Anthony Wainwright ever again." Wainwright became the sixth person to be put to death in Florida alone this year. The state executed six people in 2023, but only carried out one execution last year.
