The
sports car slammed into a light pole which had a speed limit sign of 45
mph, killing Walker and Roger Rodas in a fiery wreck.
Investigators
concluded that unsafe driving, not mechanical problems, caused the
crash, according to a person who has reviewed a report by the Los
Angeles County Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol.
Investigators calculated that Rodas was driving between 81 mph and 94
mph when his 2005 Porsche Carrera GT began to drift as it lost control
after coming out of a curve.
"The
vehicle had no mechanical failure and the damage that occurred to the
vehicle was from the collision," accident reconstruction specialists
with the Highway Patrol wrote, according to the person, who requested
anonymity because the report has not been officially released yet.
A
spokeswoman said Tuesday that the Sheriff's Department had no new
information to release regarding the investigation into the Nov. 30
crash. "We will have something in the very near future," department
spokeswoman Nicole Nishida wrote in an email. The CHP declined comment.
The
Associated Press reported in December that investigators had found no
evidence that the car had mechanical problems and ruled out debris or
other roadway conditions.
Subsequently,
Porsche sent engineers to California to review the rare car's wreckage.
Though it was badly mangled and burned, the engineers were able to do a
thorough analysis. They found no problems with the car's electrical
systems, brakes, throttle, fuel system, steering, suspension or other
systems.
Porsche declined a request for commen.
The
conclusion about the speed was based on a "yaw" mark on the road that
the car's tire left on the road in an area of industrial office parks in
Santa Clarita, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Witnesses told a sheriff's deputy that they thought the car could have
been traveling in excess of 100 mph.
Post-crash
investigators noted several issues with the condition of the car, which
had several prior owners, including IndyCar driver Graham Rahal:
-Its
original exhaust system had been modified in a way that could allow it
to go faster, but also could have been done to change its sound.
-Its tires were about nine years old; the owner's manual suggests changing the tires after four years.
-Its left rear brake rotor was worn below manufacturer specifications, but that did not contribute to the crash.
Rodas,
38, and Walker, 40, had taken what was supposed to be a quick ride from
a fundraiser benefiting Reach Out Worldwide, a Walker charity that
gives first-response aid to victims of natural disasters. The crash
occurred near the fundraiser, and horrified friends of the men raced to
the scene.
While
Rodas was Walker's financial adviser, the two had bonded over their
shared love of fast cars. They co-owned an auto racing team named after
Rodas' shop, Always Evolving, and Rodas drove professionally for the
team on the Pirelli World Challenge circuit in 2013.
Walker starred in all but one of the six "Fast & Furious" blockbusters, which glorify muscular cars and risky driving.
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