Car Influencer James Wehr Was Driving in Fatal McLaren Crash, Hours After a Traffic Stop

James Wehr, the 27-year-old car influencer who cofounded the South OC Cars and Coffee meetup in San Clemente, was behind the wheel of a 2019 McLaren when it crashed into a tree in Irvine, California, early Sunday morning. The impact split the supercar in two and set it on fire. Wehr and his passenger, 22-year-old Alexis“Lexi”Kramer, a Hooters calendar model, both died. Police confirmed Wehr was in the driver’s seat and that a female was in the passenger seat just before the collision.

The detail drawing the most attention: roughly five hours before the crash, Newport Beach police pulled that same McLaren over for a loud exhaust. A department spokesperson said the stop ended with a warning issued to the driver. Wehr’s family released a statement confirming his death, saying they lost their“darling son and brother.”Kramer had flown in from Florida to spend the weekend with Wehr, according to a relative, who also said Wehr had told people he was divorcing his wife after a year of marriage.

The crash has left the Southern California car community processing a loss that touches the scene’s tightest circles. Wehr wasn’t just another guy with a fast car. He helped build a meetup that became a fixture for builders, photographers, and fans across Orange County. Investigators are still working through the timeline between that earlier traffic stop and the fatal wreck.

What’s your take: should car meet culture be doing more to keep drivers safe? Sound off in the comments.