A high-speed crash in Irvine early Sunday morning, September 13, 2026, left a 2019 McLaren split in half and killed 27-year-old car influencer James Wehr and 22-year-old Florida model Alexis Kramer. Investigators believe speed was a factor after the luxury sports car accelerated from a red light on Culver Drive.
The Fatal Crash on Culver Drive
The violent collision occurred just after midnight on Sunday, September 13, 2026, near the intersection of Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue in Irvine. According to the Irvine Police Department, a 2019 McLaren was stopped northbound at a red traffic light. When the signal turned green, the luxury vehicle accelerated rapidly, leaving dark tire marks on the pavement before losing control.
The sports car veered to the right, jumped the curb, and slammed directly into a towering pine tree. The impact was so severe that the vehicle split into two pieces and immediately erupted into flames. The ensuing inferno was large enough to burn shrubs planted on the opposite side of the sidewalk. Responding firefighters from the Orange County Fire Authority extinguished the fire and pronounced both occupants dead at the scene.
“The vehicle took off at a high rate of speed on Culver Drive and lost control, striking a curb and then a tree, splitting the vehicle in two and catching it on fire.”
Officer Ziggy Azarcon, via KTLA
A witness identified as Sid told ABC7 that he heard a screech followed by a loud impact before stepping outside to discover the car burning. Authorities stated that it remained unclear who was driving the vehicle at the exact moment of impact.
Identifying the Victims: James Wehr and Alexis Kramer
The driver was identified by family members and local media as 27-year-old James Wehr, a prominent figure in the southern California automotive community. Wehr was the co-founder of South OC Cars and Coffee, an event he ran alongside his father, Simon, and mother, Sarah. What began as a modest Saturday gathering in a San Clemente parking lot grew into a weekly meet drawing between 1,000 and 3,000 vehicles, ranging from hypercars and supercars to vintage classics. The gathering was hosted at the Outlets at San Clemente.
The second victim was identified as 22-year-old Alexis Kramer, a bartender and Polk State College graduate from Lakeland, Florida. Kramer had flown to California days prior to meet Wehr in person after the pair connected online. Her family provided dental records to assist the Orange County coroner’s office with identification, as official bodies were not immediately named by authorities.
Hours before the tragedy, Wehr and Kramer dined at Nobu and visited the Pendry Hotel in Newport Beach. Investigators confirmed that Wehr was pulled over by Newport Beach police at 7:21 p.m. on Saturday near Newport Boulevard and Finley Avenue. Department spokesperson Heather Rangel stated that an officer observed a vehicle with a loud exhaust, initiated a traffic stop, and issued the driver a warning roughly five hours before the fatal wreck.
Community Grief and Tributes
In the days following the crash, the base of the scorched pine tree on Culver Drive transformed into a makeshift memorial. Mourners left bouquets of roses, daisies, and white lilies, alongside miniature Hot Wheels toy Porsches and exotic sports cars scattered among the fallen pine needles as an homage to Wehr’s automotive passions. Friends, family members, and automotive figures—including automotive journalist Michele Spencer—visited the site to pay their respects.
Organizers behind South OC Cars and Coffee shared a statement on Instagram addressing the community.
“This morning, just after midnight, we lost our darling son and brother James, in a motor accident. We respectfully ask for privacy as a family, as we process this profound loss.”
South OC Cars and Coffee, via Instagram
Wehr’s mother, Sarah, shared a personal reflection on social media, noting that her son was born in Perth, Australia, on August 17, 1999, and remembered his insanely great belly-laugh
and cheeky smile.
Kramer’s sister, Gracie, also posted a tribute on Instagram, describing her sibling as all of my love, my heart, my attitude, and my humor wrapped into a smaller, more chaotic, less filtered, package.
Speeding Concerns and Ongoing Investigation
Police and residents noted that wide, straight streets in the city have long attracted speeding and street racing. Irvine Police Department spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp observed that at night it is like a wide open freeway, adding that excessive velocity was necessary for a vehicle to break apart with such force.
To combat illegal racing, the department partnered with other agencies in 2020 to form the Orange County Street Racing/Takeover Enforcement Team, utilizing drones and targeted enforcement. City data showed that traffic citations and arrests for street racing reached 309 citations and 25 arrests in 2021, up from 195 citations and 19 arrests in 2016, while overall traffic collisions dropped during the same period.
The Irvine Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team continues to examine the precise factors behind the incident, and authorities have asked witnesses with information to come forward.