Speed is believed to have been a significant factor in the fatal crash of a purple McLaren supercar in Irvine, California, that killed car influencer James Wehr and Hooters calendar girl Alexis “Lexi” Kramer.
Wehr, 27, the founder of South OC Cars and Coffee, and Kramer, 22, were identified by their families and members of the car community as the victims. The crash occurred shortly after midnight Sunday near Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue. Police reported that the McLaren was stopped at a red light before accelerating at a high rate of speed after the light turned green.
The vehicle then lost control and slammed into a tree, resulting in a violent impact that split the supercar apart and ignited a large fire. Both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
"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."
Witnesses told ABC7 that the McLaren appeared to be traveling at an extremely high speed, with some estimating it could have been going as fast as 100 mph. Investigators have not yet determined the vehicle's exact speed.
The circumstances leading to the driver losing control are still under investigation. Authorities confirmed a female passenger was in the vehicle at the time of the collision. The Irvine Police Department indicated that the investigation could take six months or longer due to the complexity of reconstructing the crash.
Wehr and Kramer had reportedly been communicating on Instagram for about a month and met in person for the first time that weekend. According to reports, Wehr paid for Kramer’s flight. They had spent time together at dinner and drinks before attending Wehr’s weekly car gathering.
Kramer, a bartender, was also a 2026 Hooters calendar girl. Her family provided dental records to the medical examiner to assist in her identification. Court records reviewed by The Post did not show any divorce filings for Wehr, despite his alleged statement to Kramer that he was separating from his wife.