The widow of James Wehr, the founder of the world’s biggest weekly car show, South OC Cars and Coffee, has retained a lawyer to investigate the McLaren crash in Irvine that killed her husband last week.
Emma Wehr’s attorney, Corey Higgins of iAccidentLawyer, is demanding the source of water on the roadway is uncovered, claiming the water created a deadly hazard and could be at the center of a widening investigation.
The horrific video of the crash first obtained by TMZ shows Wehr’s McLaren accelerate rapidly before hitting what appears to be a wet section of pavement. Dashcam footage from a nearby vehicle captured the supercar’s brake lights flashing just before it swerved right and slammed into a tree.
“The source of that water has yet to be identified, and our firm is actively investigating how that water came to be there, how long that condition had existed, and who may ultimately bear responsibility,” Higgins said in an Instagram video Thursday morning.
Higgins said there are “important questions” that remain unanswered and vowed a thorough review of every possible factor.
“We are also examining the crashworthiness of the vehicle that James was driving, including how that vehicle and its safety systems performed during the collision, and whether the vehicle provided the level of occupant protection that should be reasonably expected under the circumstances,” the Wehr family’s lawyer added.
Wehr died alongside a 22-year-old Hooters calendar model, Alexis “Lexi” Kramer, when his McLaren slammed into a tree, split in two, and burst into flames at the intersection of Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue in Irvine on Sept. 13.
Kramer’s family said that the pair spent the weekend together in which they went on a first date, had breakfast and drinks together, and attended Wehr’s world-famous car show before the fatal crash.
Just an hour before the fatal crash, he posted a photo on Instagram appearing to show a police cruiser pulling him over in Newport Beach.
Lexi had flown out from Lakeland, Florida to meet Wehr — who said he was in the process of separating from his wife Emma Wehr — on Friday, according to the family member.
Following his death, Wehr’s wife shared an emotional tribute online, posting a carousel of photos of the couple. “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,” she wrote.
His sister also mourned the loss of her brother, calling him “the best brother I could have asked for.”
