Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker dies in California car crash
Walker, 40, was a passenger in a Porsche
sports car driven by a friend - who also
died - when it crashed north of Los
Angeles.
Walker was said to be attending a charity
event at the time.
He starred in all but one of the films in
the Fast & Furious franchise, the sixth of
which opened in May.
Walker also starred in the suspense
drama Hours, a movie that is set for
release this month.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's
department said the crash happened in
the community of Valencia.
The red Porsche crashed into a lamp post in
Valencia, north of Los Angeles
The sports car burst into flames after the
crash
It said deputies found a car engulfed in
flames when they responded to a report
of a collision. Two people found in the
car were pronounced dead at the scene.
Images showed the burned-out wreckage
of a red Porsche by the side of the road.
"It is with a truly heavy heart that we
must confirm that Paul Walker passed
away today in a tragic car accident while
attending a charity event for his
organisation Reach Out Worldwide," the
statement on the actor's Facebook page
said.
"He was a passenger in a friend's car, in
which both lost their lives. We... are
stunned and saddened beyond belief by
this news.''
Universal Pictures also issued a
statement, saying studio staff were
"heartbroken" by Walker's death.
"Paul was truly one of the most beloved
and respected members of our studio
family for 14 years, and this loss is
devastating to us, to everyone involved
with the Fast & Furious films, and to
countless fans.
"We send our deepest and most sincere
condolences to Paul's family."
Walker played undercover agent Brian
O'Conner in the Fast & Furious movies.
The first film of the franchise was
released in 2001 and the seventh is in
development.
Walker was one of the leading
protagonists, along with Vin Diesel and
Michelle Rodriguez.
Diesel said in a post on Instagram:
"Brother I will miss you very much. I am
absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained
a new Angel. Rest in Peace."
Walker's co-star Vin Diesel (left) said the
actor's death had left him 'speechless'
Another Fast & Furious star, the rapper
Ludacris, wrote: "Your humble spirit was
felt from the start, wherever you blessed
your presence you always left a mark, we
were like brothers."
Walker began acting as a young boy
when his mother, a model, took him to
auditions for commercials.
After drifting away from acting, he got
his big break when a casting director
remembered him from years before,
tracked him down and gave him a role
in the TV series Touched by an Angel.
Walker later won a recurring part in the
soap The Young and the Restless before
moving on to supporting roles in teen
films in the late 1990s with Varsity Blues,
She's All That and The Skulls.
After the success of the first Fast &
Furious film, Walker became the leading
man for the second instalment when Vin
Diesel dropped out.
The sixth instalment of the Fast & Furious
franchise topped the US box office
Diesel later returned, however, and the
six-film franchise has earned an
estimated $2.4bn (£1.5bn) at global box
offices. The series has not lost its appeal,
with the latest instalment, the sixth, the
most lucrative so far.
The seventh instalment began filming in
September but has not been completed.
It had been scheduled for release in July.
Walker has also filmed Hurricane Katrina
drama Hours, which is due to be
released on 13 December.
Another forthcoming film is Brick
Mansions, a remake of the French action
film District B13, for film studio
Relativity.
Relativity President Tucker Tooley said in
a statement: "Paul was an incredibly
talented artist, devoted philanthropist
and friend."
