The Porsche carrying Fast & Furious star Paul Walker was travelling up to 151 kph when it went out of control on a suburban street and crashed, killing the actor and his friend, according to an investigation by law enforcement agencies into the November accident.
The sports car driven by Roger Rodas slammed into a light pole with a 72 kph speed limit sign and burst into flames. Walker and Rodas died at the scene.
Investigators with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol concluded that unsafe speed, not mechanical problems, caused the crash, the sheriff’s department said on Tuesday.
Based on post-crash calculations, accident reconstruction specialists with the Highway Patrol believe Rodas was driving his 2005 Porsche Carrera GT between 130 kph and 151 kph, according to their investigative report.
Subsequently, Porsche sent engineers to California to review the rare car’s wreckage. Though it was badly mangled and burned, the engineers were able to do a thorough analysis. They found no problems with the car’s electrical systems, brakes, throttle, fuel system, steering, suspension or other systems.
“The results of the investigation show that, according to all the available evidence, this crash was caused by dangerous driving at speeds much too high for the road in question,” Porsche said in a written statement. “We stand by our Carrera GT and by the investigation.”
