James Wehr’s car, which was involved in a fatal crash in Irvine, California, has caught fire while being held at a secured storage facility in Costa Mesa, police said.
The Irvine Police Department said the front of the vehicle “spontaneously ignited” at a tow facility used to store collision vehicles. Arson is not suspected.
Video of the incident shows the fire beginning with a few sparks before gradually developing into a major blaze. Smoke eventually fills the storage garage and obscures the camera’s view.
Police said the crash, the removal of the vehicle and the subsequent fire damaged its structure and electrical system. Those effects may have contributed to the ignition, while Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue investigates.
Wehr died last month after the McLaren he was driving crashed into a tree in Irvine. Footage of the crash showed the vehicle travelling over wet pavement before it veered to the right and struck the tree in a fiery collision.
A woman named Lexi Kramer also died in the crash. The pair were apparently in a relationship, although Kramer’s family has alleged that Wehr misled her about the status of his marriage to his wife, Emma. Emma has retained an accident attorney following his death.
