Police have identified speed as a likely factor in the fiery McLaren crash that killed a California car influencer and the Florida woman he had just flown in to meet.
James Wehr, 27, founder of the massive South OC Cars and Coffee gathering in San Clemente, and Alexis “Lexi” Kramer, 22, a Lakeland, Florida bartender and 2026 Hooters calendar model, both died when the purple supercar slammed into a tree and erupted in flames shortly after midnight Sunday in Irvine, California.
“We believe that speed was a factor in this,” Ziggy Azarcon, a public information officer with the Irvine Police Department, told the California Post. “Our major accident investigation team still has to complete their full investigation.”
The crash occurred near Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue when the McLaren, stopped at a red light, accelerated at a high rate of speed once the signal changed, according to police. The driver apparently lost control, and the violent impact split the vehicle apart and ignited the blaze that killed both occupants.
A witness told ABC7 that the McLaren appeared to be traveling at an extremely high rate of speed, with some witnesses estimating it may have been going as fast as 100 mph. Investigators have not determined the vehicle’s actual speed.
The department’s major accident investigation team has not yet completed its full probe, and authorities warned that reconstructing the crash could take six months or more given the level of detail required. Investigators also have not determined exactly what caused the driver to lose control, though they confirmed a female was seated in the passenger seat just before impact.
Wehr and Kramer had connected on Instagram about a month before the crash and were meeting in person for the first time that weekend. Wehr had reportedly paid for Kramer’s flight to California. The pair had dinner at Nobu and drinks at the Pendry Hotel before attending Wehr’s weekly car gathering, which draws thousands of enthusiasts.
Kramer had recently earned an associate’s degree from Polk State College, according to family members. Her family provided dental records to the medical examiner to help confirm her identity, as authorities have not publicly released the victims’ names.
According to Kramer’s family, Wehr told her he was separating from his wife, Emma, and that a divorce was underway. However, Orange County court records showed no divorce filings.
The circumstances surrounding the fatal wreck remain under investigation.