Actor Paul Walker

[Johar]

It's very sad when anyone good dies, but his death is very heartbreaking, as he leaves behind a dughter, age 15, and he was involved with alot of charity work. Seems like a very well-liked man in the movie industry.

When I heard the news I was certain it was another celebrity death hoax, one of many that are recent. Then I saw the photo of what was left of the car.


http://www.thenewstribe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Paul-Walker.jpg

 

[Olympia]

Oh, yes, that photo of the car...it was pulverized. A tragedy to lose such a good and decent guy, and when I heard about his daughter I was even more saddened. The driver made an incredibly stupid decision, but that doesn't mean that these men deserved their fate. Apparently this Porsche is notoriously hard to handle, and one report said that after an accident, there generally isn't much left of the car.

I had never heard of him, but what I've learned since Sunday proves that the way he lived his life shames me. All that charity work, as well as random acts of kindness such as paying for the engagement ring of the serviceman, a story that seems to have been verified. Clearly a man we could ill afford to lose.

 

[Johar]

Yesterday I read the car was having mechanical issues so the driver decided to take it for a spin around the block and asked Paul to go with him.

 

[CoyoteChris]

I am sorry for the passenger if indeed he was a good person as many have stated...and of course his poor daughter. I will withhold my final opinions of the driver till the investigation is done....This was no ordinary car but most production cars carry a black box that tells everything about the last few seconds of the cars life within its memory....control input, g forces, speed, braking, etc. If it shows that the driver was doing a reckless driving stunt that went wrong, I am very thankful that no other innocent person was hurt....but I have no sympathy for the driver....racing is for the track, not the street....(BTW, as a car lover and a person that has little respect for the current state of news gathering organizaitons, I would not believe anything the press says till after the accident report is finished....for instance, the Porsche I am sure is tricky at 140 mph in a four wheel drift out on a track...there is nothing tricky about driving it at 45 mph....

 

[Olympia]

You're right that we need to wait for confirmation of many facts, but I have to say that if a car like that bursts into flames and incinerates everyone inside after a crash at, say, 45 miles per hour, there's something awfully wrong with its construction. I mean, for a quarter of a million dollars, you expect something a little more protective of its passengers than a Ford Pinto. So by the effects, I (who admittedly know nothing about cars) have assumed a high rate of speed. I'm relieved to hear that there might be a black box to examine, though after that photo of the remains of the car, I have no idea what could possibly have survived intact.

Thanks for your insights about cars, Chris. I as a city slicker know nothing of cars, though I have a young honorary nephew who would buy this as his first splurge if he ever won the lottery. I agree with you that ultra-fast driving is for the racetrack, not for any road where other drivers might appear unexpectedly.

 

[Johar]

Paul bought an engagement for this couple:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertai...-solider-bride-to-be-report-article-1.1536585

 

[Tonichelle]

Autopsy was out. Walker was the passenger as believed. Both driver and Walker died of traumatic and thermal injuries (which I assume means they ultimately died in the fire, especially Walker who did not have as many traumatic injuries according to how I read the article/report). They also say speed is a factor - but that further investigation is needed to tell if they were going TOO fast (aka over the speedlimit) or if something else contributed to it. Witnesses say they heard an explosion - like a tire blowing - before they hit the lightpole.

 

[Johar]

What a horrible way to die. He didn't deserve that kind of an end.