Car influencer James Wehr is believed to have been speeding in his McLaren shortly before a fiery crash in Irvine that killed him and 22-year-old Hooters calendar model Alexis “Lexi” Kramer.
Wehr, 27, was reportedly taking Kramer for a ride on Saturday when he lost control of his 2019 supercar. The McLaren struck a tree with such force that it split in two.
The vehicle then caught fire, killing both occupants at about 12:20 a.m.
Police told TMZ that evidence indicated Wehr was driving when the collision occurred. Officers had also stopped the car earlier that night, when a woman was seen in the passenger seat rather than behind the wheel.
Investigators believe speed contributed to the crash, Irvine Police Department officer Ziggy Azarcon told KTLA 5.
“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,” Azarcon said.
About an hour before the fatal collision, Wehr was reportedly behind the wheel when Newport Beach police pulled the vehicle over. He was given a warning, an Irvine Police Department spokesperson told the outlet.
The investigation is still underway.
Kramer’s family identified her as the second victim. They said she and Wehr had connected on Instagram before he flew her from Florida to California.
James Wehr, 27, died when his McLaren split in two and burst into flames during the early-morning crash in Irvine, California, on Saturday
The McLaren struck a curb and then a tree at about 12:20 a.m., splitting apart and catching fire with both occupants inside
Alexis “Lexi” Kramer, 22, was flown from Florida to California by Wehr two days before the crash that killed her
Kramer’s family told the California Post that Wehr had told her he was divorcing his wife, Emma.
“[Wehr] talked to [Lexi] every day, all the time and finally got her to fly out to California to come see him,” a family member told the outlet.
Kramer, a young bartender whose Instagram bio described her as a 2026 Hooters calendar girl, shared Wehr’s enthusiasm for cars and motorcycles. She had attended his popular auto show earlier that day.
‘She loved the car community, so it’s such a tragedy that that’s what ended her,’ the family member said.
‘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.’
Lexi and Wehr met for the first time and had gone to dinner at Nobu as well as drinks at the Pendry Hotel hours before the crash, the relative told the Post.
Wehr was identified by family and friends on social media following the deadly events.
Floods of emotional tributes poured in for the car influencer, described as an ‘icon’ in the car community.
Emma, Wehr’s wife pictured above, posted an emotional set of photos of the pair, including on their wedding day, alongside a heartbreaking tribute to her late husband
Lexi and Wehr met for the first time and had gone to dinner at Nobu as well as drinks at the Pendry Hotel hours before the crash. She allegedly believed Wehr was divorcing his wife
The young bartender, whose Instagram bio identified her as a 2026 Hooters calendar girl, shared Wehr’s passion for cars and motorcycles and had attended his hugely popular auto show earlier that day
Among those were his wife Emma who said: ‘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. I grew up with you and you opened my eyes to everything the world had to offer. You had such a zest for life and drive like no one I’ve ever met.
‘You’re smart, kind, funny, loving, and genuinely one of the best people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. Like I said in my vows, I’m so grateful to have gotten the chance to live my life at the same time that you lived yours and whether it’s in this lifetime or the next my heart will always find its way to you. Rest easy my love.’
Sarah Wehr, the entrepreneur’s mother, described her son as a ‘magnificent man’ with a love for his people, family and friends that was ‘second to none.’
His sister, Sophie Wehr, posted a collection of childhood photos with her brother and said: ‘James, thank you. I’ll live every day with you in mind and do everything I can to make you proud.’
Lexi’s sister, Gracie Kramer, said on Facebook that Lexi was ‘so much more than just my best friend.’
‘She was all of my love, my heart, my attitude, and my humor wrapped into a smaller, more chaotic, less filtered, package. She was my other half,’ her sister wrote.
‘My entire life I’ve heard people tell me they wish they were as close with their siblings as we were, and I always spoke in the moment about how lucky I was that it was just the two of us. It was always just the two of us.
Wehr had posted a clip of a police car parked behind the black supercar at Newport Beach an hour before the crash. Police confirmed he was pulled over and given a warning for speeding
Emma described her husband as ‘smart, kind, funny, loving, and genuinely one of the best people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing’
The owner of South OC Cars and Coffee, which hosts weekly car shows, was riding in a 2019 McLaren 720S at the time of the crash
‘I wish now I could go back and express to her more about how much that really meant to me. When either of us were going through hard times we were always curled up in each other’s beds just trying to figure it out together.
‘I don’t know how to figure this one out without her. I don’t know what to do now without her. The love of my life.’
Kimberli Gandy, a friend of Lexi’s, wrote on Instagram that the 22-year-old ‘ was so unbelievably full of life.’
‘She was joy and chaos and kindness and laughter and sunshine energy that made people love being around her. She was so vibrant and full of passion, and that is part of what makes this hurt so much,’ Gandy wrote.
‘I am shattered that she is gone. It feels cruel and unfair that she has been taken from us.’
Our News Outlet reached out to the Irvine Police Department for comment.
