Emma Wehr, the widow of car influencer James Wehr, is calling for an independent investigation into the fiery crash that killed her husband and 22-year-old Hooters calendar model Alexis “Lexi” Kramer last week.
Through her attorney, Corey Higgins, Emma has requested an examination of the source of the water that appeared to be covering part of the road when the fatal collision occurred.
‘The source of that water has yet to be identified, and our firm is actively investigating how that water came to be there, how long that condition had existed, and who may ultimately bear responsibility,’ Higgins said on Instagram on Thursday.
Higgins said the investigation has so far left “important questions” unanswered.
“We are also examining the crashworthiness of the vehicle that James was driving, including how that vehicle and its safety systems performed during the collision,” the attorney said.
Wehr, 27, was the owner of South OC Cars and Coffee, one of the world’s largest weekly car gatherings. He was reportedly driving his 2019 McLaren in Irvine early Saturday when he lost control, struck a curb and slammed into a tree, causing the supercar to split apart.
The wreckage caught fire shortly afterward, killing Wehr and Kramer at approximately 12:20 a.m.
Police told TMZ that available evidence indicated Wehr was behind the wheel. Officers had stopped the vehicle earlier that night and observed a woman sitting in the passenger seat rather than the driver’s seat.
Emma Wehr, pictured with her late husband James, is seeking an investigation into the source of the water that covered the roadway during the fatal crash
Attorney Corey Higgins said the crash investigation has yet to answer several “important questions”
James Wehr, 27, was taking a ride with Alexis “Lexi” Kramer, 22, in Irvine when his 2019 supercar crashed into a tree and split in two
Investigators have previously said excessive speed may have contributed to the collision. Irvine Police Department officer Ziggy Azarcon told KTLA 5 that “speed was a factor” under consideration.
“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.
Video obtained by TMZ appeared to show Wehr’s McLaren accelerating away from a traffic light before reaching a section of roadway that looked wet or covered with standing water.
Dashcam footage showed the driver braking after losing control, then swerving before the car struck the tree and erupted in flames.
About an hour before the fatal crash, Wehr had reportedly been driving the same vehicle when Newport Beach police pulled him over and issued a warning, an Irvine Police Department spokesperson told the outlet.
The investigation into the deadly Irvine crash is continuing.
Kramer’s family later identified her as the second person killed in the crash. Relatives said she and Wehr first connected on Instagram, after which he flew her from Florida to California.
The young woman’s family told the California Post that Wehr had allegedly told Kramer he was in the process of divorcing Emma.
Alexis “Lexi” Kramer, 22, was reportedly flown from Florida to California by Wehr just two days before the crash that claimed her life
The McLaren struck a curb before crashing into a tree at about 12:20 a.m.; the vehicle split apart and caught fire, killing both occupants
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
‘[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.
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.
‘She loved the car community, so it’s such a tragedy that that’s what ended her,’ the family member said.
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.
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.’
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
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
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.
‘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.’
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
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
‘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 and Higgins for comment.
