Speed suspected in Irvine McLaren crash that killed car influencer and Hooters model
Police say excessive speed likely contributed to a midnight collision in Irvine that killed 27-year-old James Wehr and 22-year-old Alexis “Lexi” Kramer.
Police investigators said speed was likely a factor in a crash early Sunday morning in Irvine that killed car-enthusiast James Wehr, 27, and Hooters calendar model Alexis “Lexi” Kramer, 22. The purple McLaren stopped at a red light near Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue accelerated rapidly when the light turned green, then struck a tree, broke apart and caught fire, killing both occupants.
"We believe that speed was a factor in this," Ziggy Azarcon, a public information officer with the Irvine Police Department, told the California Post.
Witnesses reported the vehicle was traveling at a very high speed, with some estimating up to 100 mph, though investigators have not yet confirmed the exact rate. The department’s major accident investigation team will continue a detailed probe that could take six months or longer.
Wehr, founder of a local car-meetup group, had met Kramer online and spent the weekend together before the crash, including dinner at Nobu and drinks at the Pendry Hotel. Kramer, a bartender and recent associate-degree graduate, was also a 2026 Hooters calendar girl. Authorities have not released further details about the cause of the loss of control.