LOS ANGELES, CA – Two people were killed early Sunday after a 2019 McLaren crashed into a tree in Irvine, split in two and caught fire, according to the Irvine Police Department.
The fatal single-vehicle collision occurred at approximately 12:18 a.m. Sept. 13 near Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue.
Police and Orange County Fire Authority crews responded after receiving reports of a vehicle collision and fire. When emergency personnel arrived, the McLaren was on fire.
Firefighters extinguished the flames before two people were found dead inside the vehicle.
The victims were later identified by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Coroner Division as James Wesley Simon Wehr, 27, of Irvine, and Alexis Helena Kramer, 22, of Lakeland, Florida, according to an updated Irvine Police Department release issued Sept. 17.
McLaren traveled at high rate of speed
According to the preliminary investigation, the McLaren had been traveling northbound on Culver Drive and stopped at the traffic light at Deerfield Avenue.
When the light turned green, the vehicle continued northbound at a high rate of speed, police said.
The driver then lost control of the McLaren. The vehicle veered to the right, struck a curb and continued into a tree.
The impact caused the McLaren to split in two before it caught fire.
The sequence of events was outlined by Irvine police in their initial Sept. 13 announcement. At that point, authorities had not released the identities of the people inside the vehicle.
Police identify driver
An updated investigation released by Irvine police on Sept. 17 provided additional information about who was operating the McLaren.
Investigators with the department’s Major Accident Investigation Team determined that Wehr was in the driver’s seat and Kramer was in the passenger seat when the crash occurred.
Police said investigators have clear evidence establishing the occupants’ positions in the vehicle.
The department has not announced a final determination about the cause of the collision.
Instead, investigators are examining several possible contributing factors, including the roadway and vehicle conditions, the vehicle’s speed and any other circumstances that may have affected Wehr’s operation of the McLaren.
Investigation expected to take months
The Major Accident Investigation Team is conducting what Irvine police described as an extensive investigation.
Authorities said the investigation is expected to take months to complete, and police do not anticipate releasing additional public updates until the investigation is finished.
That means the preliminary findings released so far do not represent the department’s final conclusions about all of the factors involved in the fatal collision.
The investigation will examine the circumstances leading up to the crash, the vehicle itself and the roadway conditions at the intersection.
Information gathered by Street People from Irvine police records indicates that the collision involved no other vehicle. The McLaren was the only vehicle involved, and the crash occurred after the driver lost control and left the roadway.
Emergency crews found vehicle on fire
The initial emergency call came shortly after midnight, when police received reports of a traffic collision involving a vehicle that was burning.
Irvine police and Orange County Fire Authority personnel responded to the intersection of Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue.
The fire was extinguished at the scene. Once the flames were out, responders discovered the two occupants inside the wreckage and both were pronounced dead.
The severity of the crash left the vehicle separated into two sections after it struck the tree.
Police subsequently began a detailed reconstruction of the collision as part of the Major Accident Investigation Team’s work.
Two victims identified
Wehr, 27, was an Irvine resident. Kramer, 22, was from Lakeland, Florida.
Their identities were withheld initially while authorities worked to notify family members. The Coroner Division later confirmed both identities, allowing Irvine police to release their names publicly.
The investigation remains focused on determining all of the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Police have specifically said they will examine the vehicle’s speed, roadway conditions and vehicle conditions, among other potential factors.
Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact Irvine Police Detective David Juarez at 949-724-7047.
No additional public updates are expected from Irvine police until the investigation is complete.
