Sheriff's deputies work near the wreckage of a Porsche that crashed into
a light pole on Hercules Street near Kelly Johnson Parkway in Valencia,
Calif., killing actor Paul Walker on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013. (Dan
Watson / The Santa Clarita Valley Signal via AP)
Sheriff's deputies work near the wreckage of a Porsche that crashed into
a light pole on Hercules Street near Kelly Johnson Parkway in Valencia,
Calif., killing actor Paul Walker on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013. (Dan
Watson / The Santa Clarita Valley Signal via AP)
People view a roadside memorial at the site of the auto crash that took
the life of actor Paul Walker and another man, in the small community of
Valencia, Calif., Monday, Dec. 2, 2013. (Nick Ut / AP)
Photos and messages are seen at a roadside memorial at the site of the
auto crash that took the life of actor Paul Walker and another man, in
the small community of Valencia, Calif., Monday, Dec. 2, 2013. (Nick Ut
/ AP)
A man views flowers and memorials at a roadside memorial at the site of
the auto crash that took the life of actor Paul Walker and another man,
in the small community of Valencia, Calif., Monday, Dec. 2, 2013. (Nick
Ut / AP)
Marjan Bauman, right, and her daughter Alexandra Bauman join others at
the site of the auto crash that took the life of actor Paul Walker and
another man, in the small community of Valencia, Calif., Monday, Dec. 2,
2013. (Nick Ut / AP)
Sheriff's deputies work near the wreckage of a Porsche that crashed into
a light pole in Valencia, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013. A
publicist for actor Paul Walker says the star of the "Fast &
Furious" movie series died in the crash north of Los Angeles. He was 40.
(Dan Watson / Santa Clarita Valley Signal via The AP)
Writer-director Eric Heisserer, left, and actor Paul Walker discuss a
scene on the New Orleans set of the Hurricane Katrina drama 'Hours.'
Paul Walker, left, Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel are all back in action in the sequel 'Fast & Furious 6.'
LOS ANGELES -- The Porsche carrying "Fast & Furious" star
Paul Walker
may have been going 100 mph or more before it crashed, killing both
Walker and the driver, according to a coroner's report released Friday.
Investigators found no mechanical problems with the 2005 Porsche Carrera
GT or debris or other problems on the roadway.
The street
forms an approximately 1-mile loop amid industrial office parks and is
rimmed by hills and isolated from traffic, especially on weekends. The
downed light pole the car hit had a speed limit sign of 45 mph. The area
in Santa Clarita is about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Roger
Rodas, Walker's friend and financial adviser, was driving the Porsche
at an unsafe speed, and witnesses interviewed by deputies estimated it
was going 100 mph or more.
No alcohol or drugs were detected in the system of either man on the day of the fiery one-car crash.
The
Nov. 30 deaths were ruled accidents and were due to combined traumatic
and thermal injuries, the report said. It said both men were burned over
100 percent of their bodies.
Rodas had fourth-degree burns on his head and neck and severe skull fractures, the report said.
Walker had broken bones throughout his body including his jaw, arm, ribs and pelvis, it said.
The car slammed into a tree and a light pole on the driver's
side then after spinning, hit a second tree on Walker's side of the car
and caught fire.
The report says the red Porsche was traveling "at
an unsafe speed, approximately 100+ mph," according to a deputy who
took testimony from witnesses at the scene. "For unknown reasons, the
driver lost control of his vehicle," the report says.
The
Sheriff's Department had previously cited speed as a factor in the
crash, but had released no estimate of how fast the Porsche was going.
Sheriff's investigators are working with Porsche officials and the
California Highway Patrol to determine the speed more exactly. Three
data recorders survived the crash and fire and may produce information
to pinpoint the speed.
Rodas, 38, and Walker, 40, co-owned an auto
racing team. Rodas also was a professional driver who competed in 10
Pirelli World Challenge GTS races last year.
The accident occurred
while Walker was on a break after shooting about half of "Fast &
Furious 7," whose release Universal Pictures has now delayed for almost a
year to April 2015. Walker still will appear in the film, though
Universal has not said exactly how it will handle his unfinished
performance.
Also Friday, two men pleaded not guilty to stealing a
roof panel of the wrecked Porsche from the tow truck removing it from
the accident scene.
Anthony Edward Janow, 25, and James Brooks
Witty, 18, were each charged with felony counts of grand theft and
misdemeanor counts of destroying evidence and resisting or obstructing a
peace officer. They are due to return to court Feb. 25.
