American auto blogger James Ver has died at the age of 27 after a serious car crash, according to a report by People magazine.
According to preliminary information, the car carrying Ver and another passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, was travelling at high speed when the driver lost control. The vehicle left the road, struck a tree and caught fire. No further details about the cause of the crash had been released beyond this preliminary account.
Police officers and rescue workers who arrived at the scene of the crash found Ver and his passenger showing no signs of life. Fires can break out quickly after high-speed collisions if fuel lines or batteries are damaged in the impact.
Ver's mother confirmed his death in a post on her personal social media page. She wrote that he had left too soon, that they had brought him into the world at 2:36 a.m. on August 17, 1999, and had watched him grow into a wonderful man. She said she loved her handsome, funny son.
Such posts by close family members have become a common way that the deaths of online personalities are confirmed publicly, before the news is picked up by media outlets.
Who was James Ver
Ver had built a following as an auto blogger, a type of content creator who reviews, tests and discusses cars for audiences on social media and video platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. The genre has grown rapidly in recent years, with creators combining test drives, walkarounds and commentary on vehicle performance, design and technology to build large, dedicated followings, particularly around high-performance and luxury cars. Some auto bloggers also post footage of fast driving or racing, a niche that has drawn large audiences alongside scrutiny over road safety.
People, the magazine that first reported Ver's death, was founded in 1974 and is published weekly, covering celebrity news, entertainment and human-interest stories. It regularly reports on the deaths of public figures, including social media personalities.
Second fatal crash involving a young online creator
News of Ver's death came after an earlier report of a helicopter crash in a forest in Brazil that killed 17-year-old blogger Sofia Murillo. Her mother and grandmother were also on board the helicopter. None of the three survived.
