James Wehr’s wrecked car, the same vehicle involved in last month’s fatal crash in Irvine, California, has caught fire while sitting in a tow facility storage yard, according to police.
The Irvine Police Department said the front of the car “spontaneously ignited” at a secured facility in Costa Mesa that stores collision vehicles for the department.
Surveillance video of the incident shows the fire beginning as a few sparks before building into a blaze, with smoke eventually filling the garage.
Police said damage to the car’s structure and electrical system, caused by the original crash, the vehicle’s separation and the fire itself, may have played a role in the unexpected ignition.
The Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue Department is investigating the blaze. Arson is not suspected.
Wehr died last month when the McLaren he was driving crashed into a tree in Irvine and burst into flames. Lexi Kramer, who was also in the car, died as well. Police have said Wehr was behind the wheel and that the car traveled over wet pavement before veering off the road.
The details were first reported by Gist Punch, citing the Irvine Police Department.
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