Speed played a role in the one-car crash that killed "The Fast and the Furious" actor Paul Walker in Southern California on Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
Walker, 40, was a passenger in the red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames in the city of Santa Clarita on Saturday afternoon.
"Speed was a factor in the solo vehicle collision," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.
Deputy Mark Pope said the accident was under investigation and he did not know how fast the car was going.
The Los Angeles Times identified the driver as Roger Rodas, 38, a friend of Walker's who owned Always Evolving, an auto dealership and racing services company.
The sheriff's department would not confirm that. The company could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
In a message on its Facebook page, the company posted a message that said, "Thank you all for your condolences and prayers while we mourn the loss of our loved ones."
The blond-haired, blue-eyed Walker was in five of the six "The Fast and the Furious" films about illegal street racing and heists. A seventh installment was in development, according to Universal, the studio behind the franchise.
Walker played law enforcement official Brian O'Conner in the movie series.
The first movie in the series, which stars Vin Diesel, was released in 2001, and a seventh was in development at the time of his death, Universal, the studio behind the franchise, said in a statement. The most recent film, released in May, was one of this year's biggest box office hits.
"Brother I will miss you very much," Diesel said in a post on Instagram, adding "I am absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace."
'I'm a speed demon'
Walker was a true speed demon — a gear-head, a rubber-ripping racecar-driving adrenaline junkie — long before "The Fast and the Furious" or any of its mega-sequels gave him enough money to afford the world’s most expensive fix.
"I've always been into cars," Walker recently told E! in a conversation light on movies but heavy on his family's hot-rodding streak. "Growing up with all the car publications around the house, going to my grandfather's shop … he was the first to break 160 mph with the Ford Falcon back in the day, which was a big deal."
"I'm a speed demon," Walker told the interviewer back in May.
She asked how fast he's gone in a car before.
"Just under 200. I did 197. I just haven't broken 200 yet, which is driving me crazy! I'll do it; it's just a matter of finding the right car. Every car I have has plenty of power for that and everything — it's just aerodynamics."
Asked whether his favorite car was something vintage, Walker swerved clear of the loaded question.
"I like old-school stuff, but I'm more of a performance guy," he said. "I like modern-day technology. I like going fast. And I like precision."
'Fast and Furious 7' delayed
Walker's next film "Hours" will be released this month as scheduled, a spokesman for Lionsgate confirmed to TheWrap. However, the scheduled shoot today of "The Fast and The Furious 7" has been canceled.
An individual with knowledge of the production schedule told TheWrap that director James Wan, producer Neal Moritz and Universal Pictures executives had been on the phone continually since the tragic news of the actors' fatal car accident hit on Saturday evening.
The full implications of Paul Walker's death for "The Fast and The Furious 7" won't be determined until its cast and crew has had a chance to grieve, but plans to restart the shoot Monday in Atlanta after a holiday break have been scrapped.
Production was more than halfway done when Walker and business partner Roger Rodas were killed, according to two individuals close to the project. Walker and the "Furious" crew were on a Thanksgiving holiday break from production.
Shooting was scheduled for this week in Atlanta, including scenes with Walker, who as Brian O'Conner has been a lead character in every "Fast" movie except "Tokyo Drift." The production was also slated to move to Abu Dhabi later this month, but it now seems extremely unlikely that the cameras will roll as planned.
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