Two people were killed in a fiery, single-vehicle crash Sunday in Irvine.
The accident occurred about 12:20 a.m. Sunday in the area of Deerfield Avenue and Culver Drive, according to the Irvine Police Department.
“A 2019 McLaren had stopped northbound on Culver Drive at Deerfield Avenue,” police spokesman Kyle Oldoerp. “When the traffic light turned green, the car traveled northbound at a high rate of speed.”
The driver lost control of the car, which veered to the right, struck a curb and then a tree, Oldoerp said. The vehicle then split in two and caught fire.
Firefighters dispatched to the scene extinguished the vehicle fire and reported that two people were found dead inside the McLaren.
The California Post reported that the driver of the 2019 McLaren was the founder world’s biggest weekly car show, identifying him as 27-year-old James Wehr, owner of South OC Cars and Coffee.
The medical examiner’s office had yet to confirm the report and there was no immediate word on the identity of the other occupant.
According to the report, Wehr had earlier attended one of his regular car shows, and about an hour prior to the crash had posted an Instagram photo appearing to show police pulling him over in Newport Beach.
His wife, Emma, posted a tribute that included photos after the crash, writing “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.”
Anyone with further information regarding the crash was urged to call the Irvine Police Department at 949-724-7047.