In this tragic photograph actor Paul Walker,
best known for his role in the Fast & Furious action movies, is
seen stepping into his friend Roger Rodas' Porsche GT just moments
before the horrendous crash in which the pair lost their lives.
The
high-powered super-car, which was being driven by Rodas, burst into
flames after it crashed into a pole and tree in Santa Clarita, north of
Los Angeles, at 3:30pm on Saturday.
The
county coroner has revealed that the bodies of Walker and and his
friend/business partner were so badly burned in the horrific incident
that they are currently unidentifiable.
In this tragic photograph actor Paul Walker,
best known for his role in the Fast & Furious action movies, is seen
stepping into his friend Roger Rodas' Porsche GT just moments before
the horrendous crash in which the pair lost their lives
The L.A. County Corner has
requested dental records for both victims before they can identify the
bodies. Autopsies on both bodies have been delayed until later this
week,
reports TMZ.
Walker,
40, who appeared in five of the six films about illegal street racing
and heists, had been at an event for his charity Reach Out Worldwide
before deciding to take the car, a cherry-red Porsche Carrer, out for a
drive with his friend.
The fundraiser, to benefit victims of Typhoon Haiyan, had been taking place in a race car shop near the scene of the crash.
Walker was a self-confessed
adrenaline junkie who enjoyed fast cars, surfing and outdoor pursuits.
On his official Twitter account, he
described himself as 'outdoorsman, ocean addict, adrenaline junkie ...
and I do some acting on the side.'
‘He lived his life and he died fast
and furious today. He loved speed, he loved cars, and he had to die this
way. He died in a very fast car with his friend,’ Jim Torp, who was at
the event, told the Daily News.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that speed was a factor in the crash.
Paul Walker, 40, was killed in the crash along
with his friend and business partner Roger Rodas, right, who was
driving. The star leaves behind a 15-year-old daughter, Meadow, left,
who had recently moved to California from Hawaii to be closer to him
Up and down the road near the
crash site were burned rubber and doughnut marks as though someone
smoked their tires in figure 8 patterns.
‘I don't know if the marks in the road are related to the crash,’ said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Brian Allen.
The
wreck took place about 3:30 p.m., about 300 yards from the office park
where the event was held and where the speed limit is 45 mph.
Guests rushed to put out the flames with fire extinguishers but the fireball had already engulfed the car.
Deputies
arrived to find a vehicle on fire and once fire crews put the flames
out, they found two occupants. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
By Saturday evening, all that remained was the burnt mangled metal of the red car and a light pole that had been knocked down.
The
driver of the car has been identified as former race car driver Roger
Rodas, 38, who was also Walker's financial adviser. The pair were
friends and had been racing for several years before they began
collaborating on Walker's finances.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office has
confirmed that speed was a factor in the crash and that up and down the
road near the crash site were burned rubber and doughnut marks as though
someone smoked their tires in figure 8 patterns
Wreckage: Actor Paul Walker died in the crash
alongside his friend after they decided to take the sports car out for a
spin during a charity event
Horror crash: First responders gather evidence
near the wreckage of a Porsche sports car that crashed into a light pole
on Hercules Street near Kelly Johnson Parkway in Valencia on Saturday,
November 30, killing actor Paul Walker
The remains of the Porsche that Walker and his
friend died in is taken away. The L.A. County Corner has requested
dental records for both victims before they can identify the bodies
Walker leaves behind a 15-year-old daughter, Meadow, who had
recently moved to California from Hawaii to be closer to him.
The
actor was also dating Jasmine Pilchard-Gosnell, 23, when he died and
she is ‘broken up’ over his loss, relatives have revealed.
Her uncle Barton Bruner said that she is being comforted by her mother Julie as she struggles to cope with the ‘horrible’ news.
Bruner
said: ‘Paul was a really good guy and Jasmine is broken up by this. I
went to Thanksgiving with him, played golf with him.
‘They had their ups and downs but they were together and looking to spend a bright future together.
‘This is horrible news and unexpected. Her mother is with her and she is comforting her’.
A memorial for Paul Walker in Valencia:
Fans have been paying their respects to the Fast and Furious actor in
Valencia, he has died on Saturday afternoon in a car crash with his
friend Roger Rodas
Walker reportedly started dating Pilchard-Gosnell when she was just 16, meaning he would have been 33, an age gap of 17 years.
She was supposedly beginning to become the step-mother to Walker’s daughter, even though she is only 10 years older than her
The star's representatives and official Facebook page have confirmed his death.
Ame Van Iden, Walker's publicist, said in an email: 'Sadly, I must
confirm that Paul did pass away this afternoon in a car accident.'
The actor's official Facebook page was
also updated with the message: 'It is with a truly heavy heart that we
must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident
while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out
Worldwide.
'He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives.
'We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news.
'Thank
you for keeping his family and friends in your prayers during this very
difficult time. We will do our best to keep you apprised on where to
send condolences. - #TeamPW.'
Walker and co-star Vin Diesel in a scene from
Fast and Furious 6: The deceased star had appeared in all but one of the
highly successful franchise and had recently begun work on the seventh
installment
High powered: The cherry-red Porsche Carrera GT
that Paul Walker died in on Saturday afternoon when his friend
apparently lost control of the vehicle, hitting a light pole
THE OTHER VICTIM: WALKER'S FRIEND AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATE
The
driver of the car that killed Paul Walker has been identified as former
race car driver Roger Rodas, 38, who was also Walker's financial
adviser.
The pair were friends and had been racing for several years before they began collaborating on Walker's finances.
Rodas had helped Walker establish his Reach Out Worldwide charity, after creating his own foundation to support widows and orphans in his native El Salvador.
Rodas was also the CEO of Always Evolving, the car customization shop where Saturday's charity event had been taking place. Walker was an investor in the business.
It is believed the pair were leaving the event when the crash occurred.
The pair were friends and had been racing for several years before they began collaborating on Walker's finances.
Rodas had helped Walker establish his Reach Out Worldwide charity, after creating his own foundation to support widows and orphans in his native El Salvador.
Rodas was also the CEO of Always Evolving, the car customization shop where Saturday's charity event had been taking place. Walker was an investor in the business.
It is believed the pair were leaving the event when the crash occurred.
While at the event, Walker and Rodas decided to take the Porsche GT out for a spin.
One witness, Jim Tort, who was at the event told the NY Daily News, Rodas' eight-year-old son tried to save his dad.
'I ran over afterwards, I was trying to find Roger's son.
'I found out his son had jumped the fence and gone over. He was trying to get his dad out.
Coroner Ed Winters said the bodies were so badly burned they would take days for them to be positively identified.
Witnesses at the crash scene posted a video of the scene on YouTube showing debris from the wreckage while emergency workers cordoned off the area. Photographs also show a burnt out shell of a car.
Friends
of the star told a local newspaper they 'went through fire
extinguishers' in a futile bid to fight the blaze that engulfed the car
after the crash.
Antonio Holmes told the Santa Clarita Signal: 'We all ran around and jumped in cars and grabbed fire extinguishers
and immediately went to the vehicle. It was engulfed in flames. There
was nothing.
'They were trapped. Employees, friends of the shop. We tried. We tried.'
Holmes added: 'Him
and his buddy, his brother in arms at heart just decided to joyride,
take a spin. Something we all do. We’re all car enthusiasts...
'We’re
all here driving, enjoying each other, and God must’ve needed help.
'When we saw Paul and Roger leave, Paul was the passenger in the vehicle. They both were experienced drivers.
'This was just a tragic accident that happened on a joyride,' said witness Jim Torp of Santa Clarita.
The Sheriff's Department said that speed was a factor in the crash.
Tragic: A sheet covers part of the wreckage in which actor Paul Walker died after the car went up in flames in Santa Clarita
Aftermath: Firefighters attend the scene where
Paul Walker died when the car he was a passenger in crashed into a pole
and a tree
Engulfed: This witness photo shows the Porsche
completely engulfed by flames after the driver lost control, hitting a
pole and killing himself and Paul Walker
Desperate: Bystanders desperately tried to put out the flames with fire extinguishers but the fire was too strong
Crash site: Sheriff deputies work near the
wreckage of the Porsche sports car that crashed into a pole on Hercules
Street near Kelly Johnson Parkway in Valencia
A friend lost: Tech entrepreneur
and author Bill Townsend posted this picture of himself with Paul
Walker taken hours before the actor's tragic death in a car accident in
California
His 'Fast & Furious' co-star Vin Diesel
posted a photograph of him and Walker arm-in-arm on Instagram with the
message: 'Brother I will miss you very much'
WHAT NEXT FOR THE FAST AND FURIOUS FRANCHISE?
Following
the tragic death of Paul Walker, the entire future of the extremely
popular Fast and Furious franchise hangs in limbo.
Walker played lead character Brian O’Conner in six of seven film installments, but didn't appear in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) which was the least successful of the films.
Released in May, Fast & Furious 6 was the most lucrative of them all, grossing more than $788 million worldwide.
Work had already begun on the seventh installment of the street racing series which was scheduled for release in July 2014.
Director James Wan tweeted that he was ‘beyond heartbroken’ and was unable to ‘process anything’ in the hours following the 40-year-old star's death.
The movie, also starring Vin Diesel, Michele Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson, is believed to be still in production, although the majority of the footage had been shot.
Walker was seen on the set of Fast and Furious 7 just a week and a half ago alongside cast members .
The last post to Walker’s Twitter profile before his accident on Saturday was dated Nov. 29, and included a still from what appeared to be the set of Fast & Furious 7 and a message that read 'The boys are back. Will you be ready?'
Walker had recently joked that he would continue working on the long-running film franchise until 'Fast and Furious 66'.
Walker played lead character Brian O’Conner in six of seven film installments, but didn't appear in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) which was the least successful of the films.
Released in May, Fast & Furious 6 was the most lucrative of them all, grossing more than $788 million worldwide.
Work had already begun on the seventh installment of the street racing series which was scheduled for release in July 2014.
Director James Wan tweeted that he was ‘beyond heartbroken’ and was unable to ‘process anything’ in the hours following the 40-year-old star's death.
The movie, also starring Vin Diesel, Michele Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson, is believed to be still in production, although the majority of the footage had been shot.
Walker was seen on the set of Fast and Furious 7 just a week and a half ago alongside cast members .
The last post to Walker’s Twitter profile before his accident on Saturday was dated Nov. 29, and included a still from what appeared to be the set of Fast & Furious 7 and a message that read 'The boys are back. Will you be ready?'
Walker had recently joked that he would continue working on the long-running film franchise until 'Fast and Furious 66'.
In the 'Fast & Furious', the
blond-haired, blue-eyed actor played Brian O'Conner, a law enforcement
official and starred in all but one of the six action blockbusters which
began in 2001.
He was
born in Los Angeles and brought Californian surfer good-looks and an
easy, warm charm to the popular street-racing series.
'All of us at Universal are heartbroken,' Universal Pictures said in a statement.
'Paul
was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio
family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone
involved with the Fast and Furious films, and to countless fans.'
His
'Fast & Furious' co-star Vin Diesel posted a photograph of him and
Walker arm-in-arm on Instagram with the message: 'Brother I will miss
you very much. I am absolutely speechless.'
The son of a fashion model and a sewer contractor, Walker grew up in a working class, Mormon Los Angeles household.
The oldest of five siblings, Walker's mother began taking him to auditions as a toddler.
He was a child model from the age of two and starred in a Pampers commercial when he was a toddler.
Heartthrob: Walker was a child model and the face of Davidoff Cool Water, appearing in print commercials for the brand
Walker was born in Glendale, California, and raised in the San Fernando Valley area with his four siblings.
He
previously said the early induction to show business wasn't to kick
start his career but a way to help provide for the family.
After a string of TV roles as a child in the 1980s, Walker made his feature film debut in the 1998 comedy Meet the Deedles.
Supporting roles in films Pleasantville, Varsity Blues and She's All That followed.
His performance in the 2000 thriller The Skulls caught the eye of producer Neal H. Moritz, who cast him in the Fast & Furious as undercover police officer Brian O'Conner.
Adapted from a Vibe magazine article about underground street races, the film became an unexpected hit.
In the sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Walker moved to centre stage with his co-star Vin Diesel momentarily dropping out.
Walker, a self-described 'gearhead,' kept his character's sports car from the film.
Other roles include Brokedown Palace,
Flags of Our Fathers and the Hurricane Katrina drama Hours, which is
set to be released in December.
Although his stardom didn't make as much of an impact outside the Fast & Furious series, Walker continually drew praise from his co-stars and directors as a kind-hearted and eager collaborator.
Too soon: Paul Walker with co-star Vin Diesel
(right) in the 2001 film The Fast and the Furious and with Ludacris
(left) in the sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious
Tragic ending: Walker starred in Fast &
Furious, the fourth installment of the franchise in 2009 (left) and the
next one, Fast Five (right) in 2011
Early days: Walker as a young child (left) and
pictured in Village Christian High School yearbook in 1991, the year he
was voted 'Best Hair'
Jesse
Brisendine, an internationally recognized life coach, wrote on
Facebook: ‘3 years ago Paul Walker and I were sitting around talking
about goals and dreams.
‘I asked him what he would want written on his tombstone and his response was “He was a good guy and a kind person.”
‘Having
known Paul and being privileged to call him a best friend and brother,
having traveled the world together, having shared 1000's of laughs and
tears together, I can honestly say that Paul was more than a good guy
and a kind person,’ he wrote.
The
post continued: ‘He is one of the kindest, caring, compassionate people
I have ever met. He always wanted to learn, he always wanted to grow,
he always wanted to be the best person he can be.
‘I
know he would want the same for all those who know him and know of him:
to do your best to be the best person you can be.'
Hollywood
stars have paid tribute to the actor, including rapper and actor
Ludacris, who tweeted his shock and sadness at his Fast and Furious
co-star's untimely death.
Alongside
a touching picture of the film's cast holding hands, he wrote: 'Your
humble spirit was felt from the start, wherever you blessed your
presence you always left a mark.
'We
were like brothers & our birthdays are only 1 day apart, now You
will forever hold a place in all of our hearts @paulwalker legacy will
live on forever. R.I.P.'
Outside of the Fast and Furious franchise,
Walker's movies included Varsity Blues with James Van Der Beek, left,
(1999) and Into The Blue (2005) with Jessica Alba
Animal lover: Walker at the premiere of his film
Eight Below (left) said the best thing about the film was the dogs. The
star had two dogs, including a Chesapeake Bay retrieve called Boone
'No, @RealPaulWalker. No. No. No,' tweeted actress Alyssa Milano. Walker guest-starred with her in the 80s comedy, Who's The Boss? 'Rest with the angels. You. Sweet boy. #beauty #love #RIP.'
Actress Goldie Hawn said: 'Our family mourns the loss of Paul. A very special Human being. Our prayers go his beloved family.'
Bring
It On star Gabrielle Union said: 'This is awful. Awful. #RIPPaulWalker
pls pray for his family, friends & fans. We've lost a great, laid
back, sweet, cool man & father.'
The
Wire actor Michael B Jordan said: 'Man life is so short. People you
care about can be here one min and gone the next Don't take life for
granted RIP Paul Walker.'
TV
host Vanessa Lachey said: 'I just heard and am in shock. Prayers to
Paul Walker's family. Life is precious, never take a day for granted.
#RIPPaulWalker'
Castmates: Paul Walker with Tyrese Gibson
(left), Vin Diesel (center left), and Ludacris (right) at the premiere
of Fast & Furious 5 in Brazil, 2011
Tribute: Walker's death was announced on his Facebook page with this message
James Franco said: 'Much love to paul walker. So sad. He gave a lot of joy.'
Mario Lopez, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Jack Osborne and DMX also tweeted about the death.
Walker's death came just days after he was the victim of an online death hoax.
The
actor will star in the upcoming Hurricane Katrina drama, Hours, which
Lionsgate's Pantelion Films is to release December 13.
He
also stars in Brick Mansions, a remake of the French action film
District B13 in post-production that Relativity plans to release next
year.
Relativity President Tucker Tooley said in a statement: 'Paul was an incredibly talent artist, devoted philanthropist and friend,'
Walker formed Reach Out Worldwide in 2010 to aid people struck by natural disasters.
Bill
Townsend, a friend of Walker's who attended the fundraiser, said: 'He
was very happy. He was smiling at everybody, just tickled that all these
people came out to support this charity. He was doing what he loved. He
was surrounded by friends, surrounded by cars.'
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