The fiery car accident last year that killed “Fast & Furious” actor Paul Walker was caused by excessive speed and not a mechanical failure, the Los Angeles County Sheriff said on Tuesday, concluding its almost four-month investigation.
The high-performance Porsche that Walker was riding in was traveling up to 93 mph when it crashed and burst into flames, killing him and the driver.
The rate of speed was determined using surveillance videos and electronic data retrieved from the car’s computers with the help of the carmaker. That would mean that the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, driven by Walker’s friend, Roger Rodas, was traveling about twice the 45 mph limit when it crashed Nov. 30 on a curvy road in a Santa Clarita business park.
“Investigators determined the cause of the fatal solo-vehicle collision was unsafe speed for the roadway conditions,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Commander Mike Parker said in a statement.
Investigators also determined that a pair of 9-year-old tires contributed to the crash, the Los Angeles Times reported. There was no evidence of any car system failures, such as the brakes, according to the report.
Rodas was a veteran race car driver, but the speed into a tight curve proved too much, investigators with the sheriff’s department and California Highway Patrol found.
An earlier L.A. County coroner’s report had pegged the speed as being more than 100 mph, but the traffic analysis in the recent report determined it was a bit slower.
Walker and Rodas were killed almost instantly, succumbing to multiple traumatic injuries and a fire that quickly consumed the car.
Walker died of “severe blunt head, neck and chest trauma,” sustaining a broken arm, wrist, jaw and ribs, according to the coroner’s report. The fire burned his body beyond recognition.
Rodas suffered similar injuries and a fractured skull.
No drugs or alcohol were found in the bodies of Walker and Rodas. The investigation determined that both were wearing seatbelts, and driver and passenger airbags had deployed.
Investigators spent months examining the videos, interviewing potential witnesses and working with experts from Porsche in Germany and tire manufacturer Michelin to determine the cause of the deadly crash.
Investigators found no evidence that the pair was racing against any other vehicle, according to the report. Skid marks and video revealed that the car spun out of control and hit the sidewalk, sending it smashing into a tree and a light post with tremendous force.
Rodas’ and Walker’s bodies were found braced for impact in a “pugilistic” stance, the report said.
Universal Pictures said in December that the release of the seventh installment in the highly lucrative franchise would be pushed back by nine months to April 2015. Walker will appear in the film.
Los Angeles Times and Reuters
