Roger Rodas 38 Walker's financial adviser and friend was behind the wheel of the high performance 2005 Porsche when it crashed Saturday in Santa Clarita. Rodas was killed by the impact alone a medical examiner concluded.
Los Angeles County Coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter said Walker died within seconds of the crash. Winter said more detailed information will be available once the autopsy report is finalized.
A security camera that captured a distant view of the crash shows smoke and flames billowing from the 605 horsepower super car about a minute after it struck a light pole and trees on Hercules Street. But the preliminary report from the coroner's office suggested that probably neither man was alive by that point.
Coroner's officials ruled the deaths accidental with the injuries occurring as the result of auto versus fixed object. Although witnesses had confirmed to investigators that Rodas and Walker were in the car the men were positively identified through dental records.
The pair were killed on a wide road that rings an industrial park that is home to their auto business. Results of toxicology tests for drugs or alcohol will take another six to eight weeks.
The cause of the crash has not been determined but a preliminary investigation indicates speed was a factor Sheriff's Capt. Mike Parker reiterated Wednesday.
When Walker 40 died Saturday he and the cast of Fast Furious 7 were on a brief Thanksgiving break from filming in Atlanta. Universal Pictures on Wednesday officially put the film on hiatus.
Right now all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul's immediate family and our extended 'Fast Furious' family of cast crew and filmmakers the studio said. At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on 'Fast Furious 7' for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise.
Director James Wan's automotive action film had been scheduled to resume shooting Monday with Walker after the holiday break but the cameras had been dark since Walker's death Saturday as filmmakers tried to figure out their next steps.
Several options lie ahead for Universal lead producer Neal Moritz and Wan said with questions including the extent to which the script could be reworked as well as the degree of Walker's presence in the final film. The answers to those questions will determine the length of the delay which in turn could affect when the film hits theaters.
A delay of a few weeks would mean the studio could conceivably still make its July 11 release date. But that date a tight turnaround even without the death of Walker would be imperiled if the delay stretched longer. An extended hiatus could mean a push to the holidays or even 2015.
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