Two people were killed when a McLaren supercar slammed into a tree and burst into flames in an early-morning crash in California.
The deadly single-vehicle wreck unfolded around 12:20 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue in Irvine, according to police. Officers and crews with the Orange County Fire Authority rushed to the scene after receiving reports of the crash.
Investigators said the 2019 McLaren had been stopped at a traffic light before accelerating northbound when the light turned green. The car was traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver apparently lost control, police said.
The McLaren struck a curb and then slammed into a tree, causing the vehicle to break into two pieces before catching fire. Two occupants were found dead inside the wreckage.
Their identities had not been released as of Saturday, and authorities had not immediately provided their ages or other information about the victims. The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation.
Authorities have not indicated whether any other vehicles were involved in the incident.
The intersection where the crash occurred sits in a residential area of Irvine, a city in Orange County about 40 miles southeast of Los Angeles. The violent nature of the wreck, which left the high-performance vehicle split apart and engulfed in flames, drew emergency response from both local police and county fire crews.
The 2019 McLaren model involved in the crash represents a line of British-built supercars known for their lightweight carbon-fiber construction and powerful turbocharged engines, with base prices typically starting above $180,000. The extreme damage to the vehicle, including the complete separation of its passenger compartment, underscores the severity of the impact.
Authorities continue to investigate what caused the driver to lose control during the high-speed acceleration from the traffic signal.