A McLaren that was torn in half during a deadly crash in Irvine, California, caught fire again more than a month later. What makes the second fire so unusual is where it happened. The wreckage was locked away at a tow yard, and no one was near the car when flames broke out.
On October 14, the front half of the wrecked sports car burst into flames at a storage facility in Costa Mesa. It had been sitting there since a September 13 crash that killed two people, leaving police with little more than a badly damaged shell to examine.
Security cameras captured the moment the fire began. After reviewing the footage, Costa Mesa fire investigators found no signs that anyone had touched the car or been near it when the flames appeared.
Now, the Irvine Police Department has released part of the recording as crews work to determine what caused the fire. The strange turn comes during a separate investigation into the violent crash that destroyed the McLaren and claimed two lives.
Flames From Nowhere
The McLaren’s remains were being held at a secure tow yard used by the Irvine Police Department. Although the car was no longer on the road, the crash damage had destroyed much of its frame and electrical system.
Then, on the evening of October 14, the front section caught fire without anyone coming near it.
In an October 17 update, Irvine police shared what Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue had found so far. Security footage supported the early finding that the fire started on its own, though crews had yet to name a cause.
Police also released a portion of the security video, sped up for viewing. They blurred other vehicles in the yard to keep the focus on the wreckage.
A Violent Crash
More than a month before the tow-yard fire, police stopped the McLaren at a red light on Culver Drive in Irvine. It was shortly after midnight on September 13, and the driver was heading north near Deerfield Avenue.
When the light turned green, the driver sped off. Police believe he soon lost control, sending the sports car toward the right side of the road.
What followed was a devastating impact. After hitting a curb and a tree, the 2019 McLaren broke into two pieces and caught fire.
Irvine police began receiving calls about the crash at 12:18 a.m. By the time officers and Orange County Fire Authority crews arrived, the damaged car was burning. Firefighters put out the flames, but both people inside had died.
Two Lives Lost
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Coroner Division later identified the driver as James Wesley Simon Wehr, 27, of Irvine. Riding with him was Alexis Helena Kramer, 22, of Lakeland, Florida.
Police confirmed Wehr had been driving, with Kramer in the passenger seat. The Irvine Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team is now examining several factors that may have contributed to the crash.
Among them are the McLaren’s speed, the road conditions, and whether anything about the vehicle itself may have contributed to the loss of control.
While that work continues in Irvine, Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue is conducting its own investigation. Its findings will help determine why the McLaren’s damaged front section caught fire on October 14, weeks after being taken off the road.