An already tragic Irvine traffic fatality has taken an unusual turn after the wreckage of a McLaren involved in a September crash that killed two people suddenly caught fire again while being stored at a secured tow facility.
According to the Irvine Police Department, the front section of the destroyed McLaren spontaneously ignited on October 14 at a Costa Mesa storage yard contracted by the city to hold vehicles involved in collision investigations. Preliminary findings from investigators indicate no one was present or interacting with the vehicle when the fire began. Both the original crash investigation and the subsequent fire investigation remain active.
A Devastating Crash
The vehicle was involved in a horrific single-vehicle collision shortly after midnight on September 13 at the intersection of Culver Drive and Deerfield Avenue in Irvine.
According to investigators, the 2019 McLaren was stopped northbound at a traffic signal before accelerating at what police described as a high rate of speed when the light turned green. The driver reportedly lost control, struck a curb and then slammed into a tree. The impact was so violent that the exotic sports car split into two pieces before catching fire. Two occupants died at the scene…