Celebrity Dies in Nightmare Car Crash as McLaren Splits Into Pieces and Catches Fire: RIP to James Wehr

Local celebrity James Wehr has passed away after the McLaren he was driving split into pieces and caught fire. He was 27 years old.

According to local media outlet ABC 7, the tragic car crash occurred on September 13 in Irvine, California. Wehr, who co-founded South OC Cars and Coffee in San Clemente, was

After the traffic light at the intersection of Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue turned green, Wehr sped off in his 2019 McLaren. Shortly after speeding off, Wehr lost control of the vehicle, which jumped the curb and crashed into a tree.

The impact was said to split the McLaren into multiple pieces before catching fire, all while the driver and passenger were trapped inside.

A witness to the crash said they saw only the fire. “I was about to go to bed, and then I heard a big, like, skrrrr, and then a big boom,” the witness said. “Me and my friends come out. Ginormous fire. The whole car is just gone.”

Another witness praised the responding law enforcement, stating, “These cops are really good, they’re really fast.”

Wehr and his passenger died before the first responders put out the fire.

Speaking about the accident, Irvine Police Department representative Kyle Oldoerp shared, “When the fire was put out, [the driver and passenger] were found deceased inside their vehicle.”

The New York Post later reported that the passenger was identified as Alexis “Lexi” Kramer. She had traveled from Lakeland, Florida, to meet Wehr, who is separated from his wife, Emma.

Kramer and Wehr spent the weekend together. They even attended Wehr’s car show hours before the crash.

The duo had met on Instagram and were talking for about a month before Kramer flew out to California.

“[He] talked to her every day all the time and finally got her to fly out to California to come see him,” Kramer’s family member shared.

They also noted that Kramer had a strong interest in “American muscle cars and motorcycles.”

“She loved the car community, so it’s such a tragedy that that’s what ended her,” they noted. “As you can imagine, this was very shocking and hard. She was kind and funny and charismatic, and I’ve had so many people reach out and share their wonderful experiences with Lexi.”

The family member then said that Wehr had told Kramer that he was in the process of divorcing his wife. However, no records indicated that he had filed to end the marriage.

Kramer was a bartender and was set to start a leadership role at another company days after her trip to California. She was a 2026 Hooters calendar girl.

Following the crash, Emma took to Instagram to pay tribute to her late husband.

“James, I never thought the day would come that I’d have to say such a final goodbye. Getting the opportunity to love you will always be the greatest blessing in my life,” she wrote in the post, which featured photos of them together. “You’re smart, kind, funny, loving, and genuinely one of the best people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. Getting the opportunity to love you will always be the greatest blessing in my life.”