The wrecked McLaren that killed driver James Wehr and passenger Lexi Kramer in a fiery crash last month caught fire again Wednesday night, this time while sitting in a secured tow yard in Costa Mesa.
The Irvine Police Department said the front end of the supercar spontaneously ignited at the facility, which the department contracts to store vehicles involved in collisions. Surveillance footage released by investigators shows sparks appearing on the wreckage before flames grow and smoke fills the storage garage, eventually obscuring the camera.
No one was hurt, according to Irvine police Public Information Officer Kyle Oldoerp.
The vehicle had been sitting at the yard since Sept. 13, when Wehr and Kramer were killed in a crash at Deerfield and Culver in Irvine. Police said Wehr, who was driving, lost control of the McLaren and struck a tree. Footage of that crash showed the impact was severe enough to separate the vehicle, leaving its electrical system badly damaged.
Investigators believe that same electrical damage may be behind the vehicle’s unexplained ignition while in storage weeks later. Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue is investigating the blaze, and police said arson is not suspected, though a definitive cause has not been determined.
The crash and its aftermath have drawn scrutiny to Wehr and Kramer’s relationship. The two were reportedly involved romantically, and Kramer’s family has alleged Wehr misled her about the status of his marriage to his wife, Emma, who has since retained an accident attorney.
Both the original fatal crash and the subsequent fire remain under investigation.
