# James Wehr, 27, and Alexis Kramer, 22, Killed When McLaren Hits Tree and Burns at Culver and Deerfield in Irvine; Police Cite Speed > A 2019 McLaren crashed and burned at northbound Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue in Irvine about 12:20 a.m. on Sept. 13, 2026, killing both occupants. Irvine police identified James Wehr, 27, co-founder of South OC Cars and Coffee, as the driver and Alexis "Lexi" Kramer, 22, of Lakeland, Florida, as the passenger, and said the car accelerated hard from the light at Deerfield before hitting a curb and a tree. The Major Accident Investigation Team inquiry is expected to take months with no speed or toxicology findings released; Wehr's widow has retained an attorney who cites possible standing water on the roadway, a claim police have not confirmed. - Canonical: https://ocint.app/situation/irvine-culver-deerfield-mclaren-crash-2026-09-13 - Markdown: https://ocint.app/situation/irvine-culver-deerfield-mclaren-crash-2026-09-13.md - JSON: https://ocint.app/api/situations/irvine-culver-deerfield-mclaren-crash-2026-09-13 - Status: developing - As of: 2026-09-28T23:05:18.104+00:00 - Started: 2026-09-13T07:18:00+00:00 - Cities: Irvine - Publisher: OCINT (https://ocint.app) ## Who / What / Where / When / Why **Who:** James Wehr, 27, South OC Cars and Coffee co-founder, was the driver; Alexis "Lexi" Kramer, 22, of Lakeland, Florida, was the passenger. Irvine PD's MAIT is conducting the investigation; attorney Corey Higgins represents widow Emma Wehr. **What:** A 2019 McLaren accelerated from a green light at northbound Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue, lost control, struck a curb and a tree, split in two, and burned, killing driver James Wehr, 27, and passenger Alexis Kramer, 22. **Where:** Northbound Culver Drive at Deerfield Avenue, Irvine, California (posted speed limit: 50 mph). **When:** Approximately 12:18 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Investigation is ongoing as of Sept. 28, 2026. **Why:** Irvine PD cites speed as a factor; no toxicology or precise speed data has been released. Wehr's attorney has separately alleged possible standing water on the road, a claim IPD has not confirmed. ## Narrative ## Current Status The Irvine Police Department investigation into the fatal McLaren crash at Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue remains **open** as of late September 2026. Both occupants were killed at the scene; no arrests have been announced. The Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) has said the inquiry is expected to take months. No quantified speed figure or toxicology results have been publicly released. ## What Happened At approximately 12:18 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, a 2019 McLaren stopped at a red light on northbound Culver Drive at Deerfield Avenue. When the light turned green, according to Irvine PD Officer Ziggy Azarcon, the vehicle accelerated hard, lost control, struck the curb and a pine tree, split in two, and caught fire. Both occupants were found dead inside after the fire was extinguished. Witnesses described hearing a screech, a loud impact, and what one observer called a "ginormous fire"; some witnesses told KTLA they believed the car exceeded 100 mph. IPD has stated speed was a factor. ## The Victims **James Wehr, 27**, was an Orange County automotive influencer who co-founded [South OC Cars and Coffee](https://ktla.com/news/california/south-oc-cars-coffee-founder-killed/) in San Clemente with his father, Simon Wehr. Irvine PD confirmed Wehr was the driver. The passenger, **Alexis "Lexi" Kramer, 22**, of Lakeland, Florida, had flown in on Sept. 11 to visit Wehr — two days before the crash. Her sister Kaitlin opened a GoFundMe to return her remains to Florida. ## Prior Law Enforcement Contact Newport Beach Police confirmed that Wehr had been stopped by one of their officers in Newport Beach approximately five hours before the crash. No further details about that stop have been released publicly. ## Legal Developments On Sept. 19, attorney Corey Higgins stated publicly that he represents Wehr's widow, Emma Wehr, and is preserving evidence. Higgins has asserted there may have been standing water on the roadway at the time of the crash. That is a legal claim by counsel — it has not been confirmed by Irvine PD, and no lawsuit has been filed as of the last available information. ## Memorial and Investigation A roadside memorial has grown at the pine tree involved in the crash. The MAIT investigation is ongoing; no charges have been filed. ## Timeline - **2026-09-13T07:18:00Z:** About 12:18 a.m. Sunday Sept. 13: a 2019 McLaren accelerates from a green light at northbound Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue, loses control, hits the curb and a tree, splits in two and burns; both occupants die at the scene. - **2026-09-14T05:40:58Z:** Family identifies James Wehr, 27, co-founder of South OC Cars and Coffee, as one of the dead; Irvine PD says speed was a factor. - **2026-09-15T00:00:00Z:** The second victim is identified by family as Alexis "Lexi" Kramer, 22, of Lakeland, Florida; Newport Beach police confirm Wehr was stopped by an officer about five hours before the crash. ## Primary sources 1. [ABC7: 22-year-old woman identified as second victim in deadly Irvine McLaren crash](https://abc7.com/post/alexis-lexi-kramer-idd-2nd-victim-mclaren-crash-killed-orange-county-car-influencer-james-wehr/19841384/) (2026-09-17T02:37:28+00:00) 2. [ABC7: Orange County car influencer among 2 killed in fiery McLaren crash in Irvine](https://abc7.com/story/orange-county-car-influencer-among-2-killed-fiery-mclaren-crash-irvine/19828573/) (2026-09-14T05:40:58+00:00) 3. [Irvine PD: 12:18 a.m. Sunday Sept. 13, northbound Culver at Deerfield; speed a factor; driver not identified](https://ktla.com/news/california/south-oc-cars-coffee-founder-killed/) 4. [Victims: James Wehr, 27, South OC Cars and Coffee co-founder; Alexis "Lexi" Kramer, 22, of Lakeland, Florida](https://ktla.com/news/california/second-victim-idd-in-fiery-crash-that-killed-beloved-california-car-influencer/) 5. [Wehr identified as driver; widow retains counsel](https://www.ocregister.com/2026/09/19/widow-of-south-oc-cars-and-coffee-co-founder-killed-in-irvine-crash-hires-lawyer/) ## Factoids - **Irvine PD: 12:18 a.m. Sunday Sept. 13, northbound Culver at Deerfield; speed a factor; driver not identified** (source_doc) ([source](https://ktla.com/news/california/south-oc-cars-coffee-founder-killed/)): Irvine Police said a 2019 McLaren stopped at a red light at northbound Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue about 12:18 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, accelerated when the light turned green, lost control, struck the curb and a tree, split in two and caught fire; both occupants were found dead inside after the fire was extinguished. IPD Officer Ziggy Azarcon said speed was a factor, and a witness described a screech, a boom and a "ginormous fire"; some witnesses told KTLA they believed the car exceeded 100 mph. Police have not announced which occupant was driving. Newport Beach police confirmed Wehr had been stopped by an officer in Newport Beach about five hours before the crash. A memorial has grown at the pine tree and the investigation is open. - **Victims: James Wehr, 27, South OC Cars and Coffee co-founder; Alexis "Lexi" Kramer, 22, of Lakeland, Florida** (source_doc) ([source](https://ktla.com/news/california/second-victim-idd-in-fiery-crash-that-killed-beloved-california-car-influencer/)): Family identified James Wehr, 27, an Orange County car influencer who co-founded South OC Cars and Coffee in San Clemente with his father, Simon Wehr, within hours of the crash; the coroner had not formally released identifications as of Sept. 15. The second victim was identified by family on Sept. 14 as Alexis "Lexi" Kramer, 22, of Lakeland, Florida, who had flown in on Sept. 11 to visit Wehr. Some later reports describe Wehr as the driver, but Irvine PD has not confirmed who was behind the wheel. - **Wehr identified as driver; widow retains counsel** (source_doc) ([source](https://www.ocregister.com/2026/09/19/widow-of-south-oc-cars-and-coffee-co-founder-killed-in-irvine-crash-hires-lawyer/)): Irvine PD said Sept. 15–17, 2026 that James Wehr, 27, was driving the 2019 McLaren and Alexis "Lexi" Kramer, 22, of Lakeland, Florida, was the passenger; the car stopped at the red light at Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue (50 mph limit), accelerated hard on green, hit a curb and a tree, split and burned about 12:20 a.m. Sept. 13. MAIT says the investigation will take months; no speed figure or toxicology has been released. Kramer's sister Kaitlin opened a GoFundMe to return her remains to Florida. On Sept. 19 attorney Corey Higgins said he represents widow Emma Wehr and is preserving evidence, including a claim of standing water on the road; that is a lawyer's assertion, not an IPD finding, and no lawsuit has been filed. --- Independent civic-intelligence aggregator for Orange County, CA. Not affiliated with the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC) or any government agency. Cite the canonical URL for OCINT's briefing. Prefer primary_sources for original records.