On November 28, 2013, Paul Walker took to Twitter to wish his fans a good Thanksgiving. That year, the Fast & Furious star had a lot to be thankful for. The sixth chapter of his beloved film series shattered box office records, and he began producing his films.
But only two days later, on November 30, Paul Walker perished in a horrific vehicle accident at the age of 40.
Walker, a well-known philanthropist, had spent the day at a toy drive for his disaster relief nonprofit, Reach Out Worldwide, which was created after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Walker departed the gathering in high spirits just before 3:30 p.m.
Paul Walker, like his Fast & Furious character Brian O’Conner, was fascinated by fast automobiles. Walker and his buddy Roger Rodas run a high-performance vehicle business in Santa Clarita, California, where the charity event took place that day. Walker and Rodas organized the event to assist survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
The two drove away from the event in a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, with Rodas driving and Walker sitting shotgun. The automobile was notoriously difficult to operate, and Rodas lost control of it only a few hundred yards from the shop. The Porsche was speeding at almost 100 mph when it collided with a curb, a tree, a lamp post, and another tree before erupting into flames.
Those attending the charity function, including Rodas’ small son, instantly ran. According to Paul Walker’s buddy Antonio Holmes, it was one of the most horrifying accident scenes in Hollywood history. He said, “It was engulfed in flames. There was nothing. They were trapped. Employees, friends of the shop. We tried. We tried. We went through fire extinguishers.”
Both Roger Rodas and Paul Walker were killed in the collision, and as Walker’s pals watched helplessly, word of the tragedy traveled rapidly. Within hours, the death of Paul Walker shocked people all around the globe.
This is the whole account of Paul Walker’s vehicle accident and terrible death years before his time.
The Fast And Furious Rise Of Paul Walker
Paul William Walker IV was born on September 12, 1973, in Glendale, California, and has had a very fortunate life. His mother, Cheryl Crabtree Walker, was a model before marrying former amateur boxer Paul William Walker III and giving birth to five children. Paul was the oldest. He started his entertainment career at an early age, landing his first ad for Pampers at the age of two.
Walker auditioned for jobs throughout middle and high school, landing small roles in productions such as Highway to Heaven and Charles in Charge. He graduated from Village Christian School in Sun Valley, California, in 1991, but his film career did not take off until the second part of the decade.
Directors quickly placed him in Hollywood films such as Pleasantville (1998), Varsity Blues, and She’s All That (1999). Two years later, in 2001, Walker played an undercover officer in The Fast and the Furious.
Based on Kenneth Li’s 1998 VIBE magazine story “Racer X,” the film focused on the illegal drag racing scene and the criminal elements that surrounded it. Walker played alongside action movie star Vin Diesel, and their characters became cult favorites. Their on-screen chemistry led to a deep off-screen friendship.
Initially seen as a gamble, the picture laid the basis for what would become a record-breaking, multibillion-dollar franchise. Walker was pleased to be living his dream. In addition to his acting achievements, Walker and his fiancée Rebecca McBrain have a daughter called Meadow Rain Walker, and he spends his free time racing, surfing, and working with his charity.
But the happy days couldn’t stay forever.
Inside Paul Walker’s Car Accident
On November 30, 2013, Paul Walker planned to spend the day with his family. He was making preparations to buy a Christmas tree with his mother, Cheryl, and his 15-year-old daughter Meadow, when he suddenly realized that his charity was hosting an event.
“We were having this good conversation, and he’d forgotten about an event he had,” Cheryl Walker later said. “He got a text and said, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m supposed to be somewhere!'”
The meeting went ahead without a hitch, but tragedy struck before rush hour when Paul Walker died. Around 3:30 p.m., Walker and Rodas decided to take the Porsche for a spin on a popular drifting bend at an office park in Santa Clarita’s Valencia district.
Both the 38-year-old driver and his renowned passenger wore seatbelts throughout the journey, but no safeguards helped them when the vehicle struck a curb and the driver’s side collided with a tree and a lamp post. The automobile turned around, and the passenger side crashed into another tree, catching fire.
Countless scared bystanders watched as the damaged automobile burnt to a smoking husk. Its passengers were confined inside until Rodas’ little son arrived in shock. He’d raced over to look at the situation, unknowing that it was the same automobile his father had just departed in, until he saw the model.
Many others attempted to assist, including shop workers who reached inside the vehicle to pull the victims out. However, because of the fierce flames, they were forced to step aside and watch Paul Walker die. In the end, Walker was charred beyond recognition and had to be identified using his dental records.
How Did Paul Walker Die?
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s inquiry into Paul Walker’s death found that the car’s speed was a crucial cause. Initially, the police assessed that the Porsche was traveling between 80 and 93 mph at the time of the incident. According to the coroner’s findings, the automobile was speeding at about 100 miles per hour.
The report read: “For an unknown reason, the driver lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle partially spun around and began to travel in a south-easterly direction. The vehicle then struck a sidewalk and the driver’s side struck a tree and then a light post. The force of these collisions caused the vehicle to spin 180 degrees and it continued to travel in an easterly direction. The passenger side of the vehicle then struck a tree and it then burst into flames.”
So how did Paul Walker die? According to the findings, Walker died as a result of traumatic and thermal injuries, while Rodas perished from the same conditions. Both men showed no symptoms of using drugs or drinking alcohol.
Walker’s daughter Meadow filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2015, blaming the tragedy on Porsche’s design defects.
“The bottom line is that the Porsche Carrera GT is a dangerous car,” Meadow Walker’s attorney, Jeff Milam, said. “It doesn’t belong on the street. And we shouldn’t be without Paul Walker or his friend, Roger Rodas.”
Finally, a comprehensive investigation discovered “no pre-existing conditions that would have caused this collision” and blamed worn-out tires and hazardous speeds. Rodas died “rapidly died of severe blunt head, neck, and chest trauma.” according to the autopsy after both airbags deployed as anticipated.
The inquiry discovered further details concerning Paul Walker’s death. His autopsy revealed fractures in the left jawbone, collarbone, pelvis, ribs, and spine. In addition, “scant soot” was discovered in his trachea.
Porsche further alleged that the automobile had been “abused and altered” via unforeseen changes. Walker’s daughter eventually resolved the case two years later, but the details were kept hidden.
Meanwhile, sad admirers flocked to the accident scene to pay their respects to the late star. And, since Paul Walker died while shooting Furious 7, Universal Pictures halted production until they could confer with his family.
After Walker was cremated and buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, his brother Cody assisted the Furious 7 production with the final shots. He not only had a striking resemblance to Walker, but he believed he owed him everything.
“My love for cars, my love for travel — it’s all from him and I miss him,” according to Cody Walker. “I miss him every day.”
