James Wehr was driving the McLaren that crashed in Irvine, California, killing him and a 22-year-old woman, after police had stopped the vehicle earlier that night and issued the driver a warning.
An Irvine Police Department spokesperson said Newport Beach police pulled over the McLaren before the fatal collision. No further details about the stop were provided.
The 2019 McLaren crashed shortly after midnight. Police said it had been stationary at a red light near Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue before accelerating north when the lights changed.
The driver then lost control, left the road, struck a kerb and hit a tree. The impact split the car apart and caused it to burst into flames.
Police have also addressed speculation online that a woman had been driving. An Irvine Police Department spokesperson said: “Based on evidence, that just before the collision, a female was in the passenger seat and not the driver’s seat.”
The passenger was identified as 22-year-old Alexis “Lexi” Kramer. Her family said the pair met through Instagram direct messages and that Wehr flew Ms Kramer out from Florida.
Wehr was known in Southern California’s car scene as the co-founder of South OC Cars and Coffee, a large weekly gathering for automotive enthusiasts in San Clemente.
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing. Police have not said what caused Wehr to lose control of the McLaren.
