When a celebrity dies there are inevitable speculative stories and information that comes out. Some of the stories contain details that I don’t think anyone other than the immediate family should know, and that’s been the case with Paul Walker’s death over the weekend. Paul died in a Porsche Carrera GT driven by a friend of his. The two went out for a ride while at a charity event for the organization Paul founded. They were returning to the event when the car lost control, hit a tree and burst into flames. No one could save them, and friends and family tried. I know some details, you probably do too, but I’m not going to repeat them here because they make my heart hurt.
There’s speculation that Paul and his friend, Roger Rodas, may have been drag racing. Drag racing has been ruled out as cops have stated that no other car was involved. Speed is said to have been a factor, based on eyewitness statements, and it’s known that Walker himself liked to drive fast. TMZ also has two stories that suggest that the car may have been unsafe and/or could have malfunctioned. That specific car had a steering fluid leak that was in the process of being repaired. Fluid on the road near the crash suggests it could have contributed to the accident and the quick spread of fire afterwards. What’s more is that the model of the Porsche, a Carrera GT, handles very poorly on uneven roads or any debris. The road they were on had small reflective dots on it, and manufacturers warned that this car is unsafe on roads that aren’t clear. Here’s more:
The exotic sports car in which Paul Walker violently died, crashed as a result of mechanical failure — very possibly a steering fluid leak … this according to sources closely tied to the auto shop where the vehicle was stored and maintained.
Sources connected to Always Evolving — the shop co-owned by Walker and the Porsche driver Roger Rodas — tell TMZ they saw evidence of a fluid burst and subsequent fluid trail before the skid marks at the accident scene.
The AE sources point to the fact there is a noticeable absence of skid marks until just before the point of impact. They say if Roger had lost control the skid marks would show swerving, but instead the marks were in a straight line. They feel this cements the theory the driver didn’t have steering control.
Also suspicious — the fire spreading so quickly in the front of the car. The sources say flames would be expected in the rear where the engine is … but fire in the front reinforces their theory of a fluid leak of some sort.
The sports car Paul Walker died in was so gnarly to drive … Porsche WARNED its dealers, in writing, about letting just anyone drive the vehicle … because it’s hyper sensitive to road conditions.
TMZ obtained a copy of a memo sent from Porsche HQ to multiple dealers in the Midwest back in 2004 … right before the $500K Carrera GT went on sale — and it explains how ridiculously powerful the car is, but also that … “this vehicle cannot drive over a Foster Beer can that is lying on its side.”
In the doc, a Porsche exec says, “You need to be aware of what type of road surface you are on (dips; pot holes, seam heights, etc.)”
It’s worth noting … the road where Paul and Roger Rodas crashed is covered with reflective dots — y’know, the ones you’ve probably driven over harmlessly thousands of times.
Police are still investigating the exact cause of the accident, and, so far, have only said speed was a factor
CNN has more on that specific car and why it’s so dangerous. There were only 1,300 made so there aren’t many of them on the road at least, plus they’re insanely expensive.
There are so many other stories about Paul’s tragic death that it’s hard to know where to start. His friends and family have had an outpouring of grief, particularly Paul’s father, who said that he had a deep love for and connection with his son, Tyrese Gibson, who visited the crash site, and Vin Diesel, who also visited the site and spoke with fans. Paul leaves behind a 15 year-old daughter, who lived with him, and a girlfriend, Jasmine Pilchard-Gosnell, who is just 23. Paul had been with her for seven years, which has raised some eyebrows since she was underage when they first started dating. That’s of course questionable on his part, but I don’t think it overshadows his legacy or that people should focus on it when we remember him. Entertainment Weekly has a nice article about Paul’s charity work and interests. He loved to race cars but he also loved the ocean and was a devoted humanitarian and father. RIP Paul.
Update: I just saw this on Starcasm. Paul’s friend RZA of Wu-Tang Clan recorded a musical tribute to him. It’s really beautiful. The song was sung by Will Wells. RZA and Paul worked together on the movie Brick Mansions, which comes out next year.
Photo credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet
This story has pretty much left me heartbroken since the weekend. That video of Tyrese crying broke me, not gonna lie.
I think tyrese is a tacky attention seeker. Taking that “memento” from the crash scene and posting it on Instagram was an attention grab. Had he just visited the site and taken a piece of debris quietly, I would think differently. Also, before someone pops in and attempts to educate me, I’m well aware that there are different ways to grieve a loss (I’ve been a licensed funeral director for 12 years, have taken grief counseling classes and have seen and heard almost everything). I support all ways of dealing with grief and consider myself very progressive. What I don’t support are gauche “funeral selfies,” and faux expressions of grief that are more about getting attention for yourself and less about mourning a loss and supporting other survivors, friends, and family (like walkers daughter) who have to see the loss of their loved one minimized on social media.
I have always appreciated your expertise in this area, and your point here makes sense.
^^^ Agreed. I thought it was tacky.
Well said. My dad has been in hospice & I haven’t been on Facebook, Twitter, or any online social media (where people know me-Celebitchy is my personal therapy) for months. Don’t feel like posting inane crap about what I ate for breakfast this morning right now. My close friends call or email me to talk. On the other hand, everyone does process grief differently so reaching out to fans may have made Tyrese feel more connected to Paul. No judging his actions, I do think he was sincerely devastated. I didn’t know they guy & I’m heartbroken so I imagine it’s much worse for those who did have personal connection.
RJ, re: your dad being in hospice right now–I hope you have the support you need during this difficult time. Blessings.
Ok I felt like I was the only one feeling that way. It reminded me of when you’re at a funeral and somebody who barely knew the deceased falling out and bawling for show. I know he knew him but still.
Thank you for your wisdom on this “MorticiansDoItDeader”
TO RJ: my thoughts are with you and your Dad. I did hospice at home with my mom last year, and while it was the MOST DIFFICULT thing I’ve have ever done, it was a truly remarkable and healing experience to be with a dying person. Bless.
@Morticians – I respectfully disagree. I obviously can’t judge, as I don’t know Tyrese personally, but he seemed genuinely broken up about everything. One site had a fan’s (who was there) account of what happened when he came to visit to the scene of the accident… who said he came with a single flower to lay there, had just completely broken down, leaving the flower & taking a small piece of the wreckage, said absolutely nothing to anyone, & went to leave.
There were a ton of cameras all over the place… one of them approached him to ask something, but when they filmed him, he just said “I can’t. I can’t do this.” & left. As for the social media… I think for a lot of people, it can be like writing in a diary, a way to release feelings & thoughts.
Obiously not everyone would be able to see opening your mind & heart to the entire world via the internet the same way as a diary, but it’s true. Most people don’t keep traditional diaries anymore… & feel comfortable being open about these things.
I can’t say whether Tyrese was looking for attention or not, but nothing I saw so far has said that to me. This is no disrespect to your experience, but unless he does something totally ‘famewhorey’, I don’t think it’s fair to cast judgment.
@RJ
I am so sorry about your Dad. I lost my mum just after Christmas after a stay in hospice three years ago. It’s a bad time of the year and we all deal with things differently so I can totally see where you are coming from. I, on the other hand, used Facebook as a way of still feeling ‘connected’ to the world outside of the hospital and the cncer and the doctors. I’m not one of those people who have a ton of facebook friends who aren’t true friends and I found it really helpful to be close to so many people outside my situation.
I’m terribly sorry you are going through this. It’s such a tough time of year for one’s health to decline. You have my thoughts.
RJ – My heart goes out to you. I’ve had to do this twice within six months this year for both my mom and my dad, starting right after Christmas. It is very hard and it is also a way people can gain strength and understanding. You will be very glad you were there for him and I know he is too. This is what we are here for on this Earth – to be there for one another. Sincere prayers for you and yours.
Tyrese was in Paul Walker’s brother’s wedding. They were VERY close. People grieve differently.
No matter how much of an expert you may think you are, you can never know for sure what someone is feeling or why someone does what they do so the fact that you can even accuse him of seeking attention is really disrespectful and I’m trying to find nice ways of putting this because I don’t want to sound messed up but that’s just fucked up. Tyrese was really close to Paul and most people can tell how much he’s been hurt by Paul’s sudden death. But people grieve differently. You have your way and he has his, doesn’t mean you need to point fingers and accuse him of seeking attention. No one can fake looking as broken as Tyrese did when he showed up the crash site, he truly cared for his friend who he basically saw as his brother. I even broke down when I saw the video. I understand you have your way of grieving and wouldn’t post it online but others do express their feelings on social networks, that’s just the way things are now. As Hakura said, some people don’t keep traditional diaries or journals anymore, social networks are used to vent and express emotions. I can personally relate to that. I do it. And I think the fact that he took a “memento” is just to keep a last part of Paul, even if its not the most positive, I’m sure he won’t look at it and be happy, but it will remind him of his friend. It’s odd but it is what it is and no one should casting any judgement toward him for it. If you’re not the one dealing with his exact situation, don’t criticize any of his actions. You can’t really compare yourself to a celebrity. Not that they’re more than any of us, but there are certain things expected of them. People DO want to know what they’re feeling, what they’re thinking and some celebrities do feel close enough to their fans to want to let them in on it. Social networks are there to allow them to do just that. If he wanted to close off from the world, he would.
@Mort I only saw a short clip and didn’t see that he took a momento. What is the point? And as for instagramming it, you know, I love instagram like everyone else but if I am truly truly devastated, instagram and twitter are the last things on my mind. Not judging him but wow, taking a momento is a very odd thing to do.
I don’t know Tyrese’s intention but I wouldn’t be thinking about posting pics on instagram so soon after my friend died. But for taking momento’s, I think it’s fine. Many people took momento’s from the World Trade Center, does that make them bad people?
@V4Real What I meant was that I wouldn’t want to be reminded of how violently my loved one was taken from me.
I never said it made him a “bad person”, and it doesn’t make those who did the same with 9/11 bad people either. It’s just not how I would personally grieve. Don’t put words in my mouth.
I always wonder that too, when celebrities and regular people run right to social media to express their grief. I sometimes wonder if their publicist or whoever pushes for it, or they do it to avoid being asked to make a statement, but who knows. It just seems odd to me too.
@Dani I asked the question “does that make them bad people I didn’t say you said they were a bad person. I’ll ask the same of you, don’t put words in my mouth.
@Rj, I’m VERY sorry to hear about your dad being on hospice. I hope you are able to share some very special, quality moments with him before he passes. Be well.
@Dani2 – I’m not sure if this is the case, but I think I read somewhere that Tyrese said he took the ‘momento’ (which I’m not sure if he called it that) because he wanted to carry a piece of Paul’s energy on him, always. I saw nothing wrong with that, personally. Considering where their friendship began, revolving around cars (& knowing of Paul’s true love of cars), I can understand why he’d see value in having that.
He’ll likely have it made into a piece of jewelry, so he can wear it (like a pendant or a ring).
Thanks to all of you for your very kind comments. It’s a process, and I’m glad to have the time with him that I do–I don’t know if it’s “easier” to lose someone in an instant without warning like a car crash, or slowly, but let’s all reach out and hug someone we love today, for the present is a truly a gift
@hakura, keeping a memento is a healthy part of healing. “Memento mori” is the expression for it. It usually refers to a photo or other keepsake (lock of hair, etc.) used to remember the dead. As you mentioned, it can be made into a ring or pendant. I think it’s a beautiful way to remember someone you loved. Posting a piece of the fiery wreck your “friend” died in to your public Instagram is tasteless and shows little concern for Walker’s family (who may stumble across it on social media). Most people like to retain items that bring to mind happy memories. They may share the meaning of the item privately with other friends or family who knew the deceased. Memento mori is about remembering your mortality and the life of the one you lost. You are entitled to your opinion, but tyreses photo is more in line with a “funeral selfie” than it is with a tasteful display of grief and concern for Walkers grieving family.
He may have taken the “memento” because that was the last place Paul was alive. I’ve seen people become sort of connected to the place where a loved one died for that reason. As to posting it on Instagram…I think it was extremely tasteless. Extremely. And I do not understand people who post intimate photos on social media. Like sonograms! Really? A picture of your insides and your unborn child?! But I digress.
Uugghh, this is why I only make it half way through Celebitchy’s comment section. Inevitably, the same few posters hijack the comment section going back and forth about who said what, who’s has low reading comprehension skills, blah blah blah. At times reading the comments can be entertaining and even educational but other times it’s just annoying and repetitive. LIKE RIGHT NOW…
I really just wanted to say “RIP Paul Walker”. I’ll go back to lurking now…
Huh? I think you posted in the wrong section
agree. the reason i havent checked celebitchy in a couple months.
While it’s truly sad that someone so young and beautiful died, the upside is that no innocent motorist was also killed or harmed. It’s one thing to take your own life into your hands, but quite another to risk the lives of others on a public thoroughfare. That’s where my sympathy is somewhat tempered; the hubris to drive at excessive speed in public and not on a closed course.
fair point….
People do things like this all the time, whether it not they should. Once in a blue moon, it ends in tragedy. It’s still an accident. To say, “yeah but… You did this..”. Is insensitive and uncouth
+1 wiffie
Maybe it’s a bit insensitive but the point still stands that speed-related car accidents cost Americans $40.4 billion a year.
It’s really no different than someone getting behind the wheel and driving drunk in the sense that it shows a very callous disregard for the safety of others. Sorry, but that’s just the harsh truth of the matter. In 2010 almost 11,000 people lost their lives in speed-related car crashes, so the number of deaths IS significant, not a “once in a blue moon” situation at all.
If the accident is proven to be due to mechanical failure and not speed-related, then it doesn’t change the fact that as a society, we can learn from this. We can still be reminded of the dangers of driving unsafe vehicles or driving recklessly.
Very sad for Walker and his family, because it doesn’t seem like this had to happen, either way.
@wiffie I agree.
I knew this would turn into a speed kills and who’s at fault kind of post. Yes we know that speeding can lead to a tragic end, I too have lost friends and family in car accidents, as well to gun violence. We know the dangers. But before we criticize Roger let’s wait until all the facts are in. I heard reports on the news that the estimated speed was only about 45mph, not very fast if you ask me but perhaps too fast if it was a 15 or 20mph zone. So he would only be guilty of disobeying the speed zone. Let’s keep in mind that two fathers are dead and not judge the way they died until you hear all the facts.
We just had a commuter train derailment here in NY where 4 people died and over 50 something injured and it was determined that speed was a factor. The engineer was going 82mph around a curve and his speed should have been reduced to 30. So yes people are criticizing the engineer but at least they waited until they had the facts.
I’m waiting till the facts are in to make a judgment about exactly what caused Walker’s death, sure. But I still stand by what I said and yeah, I DO think it’s worthwhile discussing the dangers of driving recklessly. Yes, everybody knows speeding kills, yet people still do it so obviously something isn’t sinking in. People keep saying “they’re called car ACCIDENTS for a reason” as a way to minimize it, except there’s a reason why people can be thrown in jail for manslaughter when innocent people die due to reckless driving of others-because it’s a deliberate CHOICE to speed or drink before getting behind the wheel so please stop. It’s called accountability, people.
Finally, why do people not understand that expressing empathy for someone who died tragically and trying to find a reason or a takeaway from a needless death are not mutually exclusive. In fact, it’s human nature to try to find meaning in tragedy. *shrugs*
Even if it was mechanical failure (which it seems will be the case here), I don’t see anything harmful or disrespectful in the side conversations that are being generated by this-particularly the comments about safely handling sports vehicles.
This all so sad.
Obesity costs $190 billion in healthcare every year. Next time you see a parent feed their fat kid chips remember how you feel about the “callous disregard for the safety of others”.
It was a car ACCIDENT and the story above talks about how a mechanical problem my have contributed to the crash. Two men died, it is tragic. End of story.
Your comparison falls short on a lot of levels: a kid eating potato chips isn’t gonna kill me, but a person driving 95 miles an hour on the same road as me very well could, besides the fact that a child eating a few chips doesn’t automatically make him/her obese. It’s called moderation and common sense. Driving to endanger others involves neither of those things-it’s simply selfish.
If you ever had a loved one die because of another driver’s carelessness, I bet you’d change your stance. I know he was a pretty movie star but lets retain a level of objectivity please, people.
Ultimately, we all agree that Walker’s death was a tragedy, but my point was simply a statement about how driving recklessly is NOT ok in any capacity.
Congrats to you for being perfect. My point is that the rest of us have at times made stupid decisions, and for the most part we get away with it. See: Wiffie’s comment below.
We never know which dumb decision will be the one that causes a tragedy like this one. To write this off as any less sad because there could be driver error is callous. It has nothing to do with him being an actor or good looking and more to do with this loss being senseless, to say “he should have known better” is condescending and in bad taste given they have already paid with their lives.
@TOK I agree with you about speed, if this is proven to have been the case. I have lost friends and family in car accidents as well. But let’s remember one thing, Paul was not driving. I understand sienna’s defense, if she’s defending Paul. As I already mentioned I heard reports that Roger was going at a speed of about 45mph. He would be guilty of disobeying the speed zone for that area which we all have done if you’re a driver. If this turns out to be true 45mph is not excessive speed and cars are very easily to damage these days. From the look of the wreckage you would think Roger was going at least 80; I’m hoping that wasn’t the case. I don’t want to condemn the man if he wasn’t driving at an excessive speed or what if it really was a problem with the car. But I also notice how some people are blaming Paul as if he had control over the wheel and gas pedal from the passenger’s seat. That’s not fair.
@ Sienna-You did a great job of putting words in my mouth. Reading comprehension is helpful in this forum.
If you want to say that myself and everyone else who thinks Walker’s death was tragic and needless are “callous” and “insensitive”, well I guess you and I just disagree on that point.
Anyway, carry on with your OTT stanning disguised as outrage…
@V4Real-I’m not “condemning” anyone. We don’t know exactly what caused the crash. My point is simply that this raises the topic of speeding and reckless driving as being very dangerous and too often a cause of death. It’s problematic, that’s all.
@TOK the last part of my comment that starts with from the look of the wreckage wasn’t directed at you. I should have spaced it, and made that clear; I apologize. I wasn’t only speaking about comments made on C/B but other sites as well where people were blaming Paul, you yourself didn’t specifically call out anybody. I understand your concern is with people who are speed demons which is a valid concern.
I get where you’re coming from, but I see another side, too. in tenth grade, my best friend and a couple other friends got in an awful accident after losing control on a dirt road. driver was 16 but no license. Passenger died. It was awful, and ripped the town apart. the number of all of us other kids could only think of how many times we had driven a friends car just for fun, and not thought twice when nothing happened. It could have been any if us. While it could have been prevented, yes, an accident is still an accident, and the tragedy of someone dying is no less tragic or deserves less sympathy. That’s just my point of view.
I will grant you that my phrasing might have been better constructed. My larger point, which has disappeared into the ethers of moderation, is that it is a cautionary tale of actions/consequences. I, too, have lost friends in accidents, some involving speed, but others by no fault of their own, precipitated by other drivers’ recklessness.
One other thing, Paul was not driving the car. The driver of the car – Roger – was the one who may have been speeding. Paul was a passenger in the car.. It is the driver’s responsibility to drive properly and follow the laws of the road not the passenger.
True. They chose to speed their car and crashed.
It’s still a tragedy but hopefully others will learn from this.
Maybe the leaking steering fuel was the deciding factor but I highly doubt that the car would’ve been mangeled like that if they were going the speed limit. They hit the tree so damn hard that the car cut in half.
God damnit, such a waste.
the tree isn’t damaged, and given the speed & ferocity of the blaze it’s believed that the power steering leak may have been a factor since new video footage shows they may not have been speeding that much right before the accident. please, let’s get all of the facts in before we start pointing fingers.
Also, why would a car manufacturer sell a car that they KNOW to be unsafe to drive on standard road conditions. You can’t drive over cracks in asphalt?! Reflective dots on the road??!! Selling a product that you know is unsafe to use for its intended purpose is the freaking definition of products liability!
I’m wondering that myself. If it is a street legal car, which I’m assuming it is if it’s being sold at dealerships, then it has to be able to ride on the street. It’s impossible to know the conditions of all roads and be sure there aren’t any inconsistencies that could cause problems.
Manufacturers are after the all mighty dollar. Cigarettes are still for sale – legally.
Yes. It sounds like depraved inifference. Im surprised Porche is not sued.
Kiddo — you might want to wait until all evaluations have been done. You really never know until accident reconstruction processess everything.
Yes, very true. I apologize for jumping the gun. I saw an article yesterday that officials said speed was involved, so I was assuming that it was a given, but it may have been a preliminary assessment.
Paul wasn’t the one driving, it was Roger so it was Roger taking his life and Paul’ and anyone else how could’ve been on the road life into his own hands. Paul was NOT controlling the car .. Roger sped (probably) and took his own and his friend’s lfe… I feel like people are blaming Paul as if he was the driver.
@Kiddo – I totally don’t mean to come across argumentative. But I think the problem in this particular case is that, as you yourself have made clear, we still don’t know what caused the accident.
By bringing up the topics of ‘reckless driving’ here specifically, it creates the appearance of assumption, which makes it come across as though you’re blaming Paul & Roger for what happened to them, & accusing them of being ‘reckless’, putting *others* in danger, when we don’t *know* that’s the case.
So people have gotten defensive, which I can understand. I just think, until we *do* know, it may not have been the right time to make that statement, but I no less respect your opinion, nor mean to tell you where/when/how to express it. This whole situation just really sucks, & when everyone is still so u pset about their deaths, no one wants to immediately talk about possible fault or blame on those who’ve died.
Edit – I’m sorry, I didn’t see what you said in response to Ok above, I should’ve read through all the comments first >.<)
Honestly, seeing his dad sob yesterday on TV was heartbreaking. He was just breaking down. It was just awful! Poor grieving man 🙁
Sorry Porsche, I don’t understand how you can make a vehicle that costs half a million dollars that is so sensitive to road conditions you need to warn people. That’s like building a plane that can only fly in perfect weather conditions. Stupid.
I hope they can definitively say what happened eventually so there are no bulls**t theories which only serve to be painful for family and friends. Let the two men rest in peace.
It sounds weird, but this is pretty common in high performance sports cars. Once you get up above even 400 hp (the Carrera GT is over 600), the cars are very hard to handle (even on smooth streets) and become downright dangerous with bumps, wet spots, you name it. These cars aren’t intended to be daily drivers — they’re meant to be barely street legal rockets. (I say this as a diehard car person, no criticism of him intended..)
100% agree. These cars aren’t meant to be treated like utilitarian, everyday driving vehicles. I think there’s a place for cars like the Porsche Carerra and other sports cars-they’re kind of like art for the road-but you have to know how to handle them and where/when to drive them.
There’s a racetrack near our home that is built just for these cars – just Porsches. It’s really interesting because the owners like that they’re buying a very exclusive thing – a race car, really. And they are for racing – not for driving so much. I’m a car person, too and I’m kind of surprised that two guys who knew so much about driving/racing would have been going that fast on an untested surface in that car. Makes me think there may have been a malfunction.
They’d have been safer driving just about any run of the mill car..
@feebee
With due respect, I do not believe you know much about racing or extreme high power sports cars.
People buy this cars for the exact reason you complain. The Porsche Carrera GT has the reputation of a very sensitive and hard to handle car. I would not touch them. My opinion on this cars is, they look beautiful alone, but obscene and vulgar in city traffic.
Did you ever drive a car like this? I tried, and it really scared the hell out of me. And some people love it. I still get wet palms, just thinking about this experience.
My husband builds race cars professionally and drives them for fun (he is being sent to Indy next week as a representative for a very large firm that builds and distributes super chargers). His race vehicle makes well over 1000 hp at the rear wheels. A power steering fluid leak could have led to loss of control, but it could have also been driver error (ie. over correction). Most of the guys who drive these types of cars try to “stay in it.” They don’t hit the break because they want to prove that they can control the vehicle and straighten it out. It’s seen as amateurish to brake and stop the vehicle (unless there is an oil down or the track/road is wet for another reason). I will also add that it is possible to drive a car without power steering (I used to drive my boyfriends trans am with a broken power steering pump). They’re extremely difficult to handle at low speeds, but it becomes easier as speed increases. I would have to accelerate in order to make a turn without crashing. Pretty scary stuff. All this to say that a lighter Porsche, going excessively fast could be maneuvered (although difficultly). I’ll wait for the forensic accident reconstruction team to determine whether it was a vehicle malfunction (not a mechanic who once worked on the car). I think it’s a good possibility that it could have been a case of showboating on the drivers part.
Interesting, Mort–had no idea you would have to accelerate to avoid crashing (scary!)….your insight just reinforces the idea that you really need to know your shit to drive these cars.
@Morticians – I preface this with the fact that I know absolutely nothing about cars, & am only referencing what I saw on a few different sites regarding the accident… They seem to think it *was* a problem with the steering (there aren’t any official statements, of course), but it’s because the skid marks that were found went in a straight line, as opposed to curves from swerving, trying to get the steering under control.
It sounded like a theory that’s gaining some backing, due to the skids showing no sign that the driver had tried/or was able to swerve to try to avoid the wreck.
Hi all, thanks for the info on the Carrera… I haven’t driven one and no, I don’t know much about them. However I can appreciate high performance sports cars but if they’re not made for everyday driving then maybe you should need a special license to drive them? I realize the irony in that Paul’s friend, being a professional driver, would have qualified for one.
@feefee
At least in Germany, any sports car, no matter how strong, as long as they have been classified “strassentauglich”, means, safe to drive on a public road, can be driven by anyone who has a driver`s license.
I want to add, in Germany you get tested once in your life for a driver´s license, that is, when you take your first driver´s test. So, after 60 and more years, you still have your same license. I read that US police goes nuts with this international licence s and the originial one is dated 1950.
@MorticiansDoItDeader
quote……A power steering fluid leak could have led to loss of control…..end of quote
Would one not notice a prior steering fluid lead due to inconsistency in steering?
@DAG, the fluid would have to be low enough where there would be a noticeable difference in steering. If you have a leaky power steering pump you could top off the fluid and regain power steering capacity. However, as the fluid leaks out again , the car becomes increasingly difficult to steer (particularly at low speeds).
@MorticiansDoItDeader
Thank you for the answer. Cars are not low maintenance as many think.
@hakura, a source close to a mechanic who worked on the Porsche said it could have been due to a power steering fluid leak and that the skid marks indicate the driver didnt have control of the steering. The media is playing fast and loose with theories and will run with any tidbit they are fed. First it may have been drag racing, now a power steering fluid leak. I will wait to hear from an expert. A former mechanic is no expert in accident reconstruction.
This so tragic and raw still that I feel like it’s too soon for me to comment. All I can say is I’m so sorry for this tragic loss, and even that doesn’t seem enough. I just can’t wrap my head around this, and the loss of such a good human being at that. I just send my love and support to his daughter and family. It’s just so awful.
The end result is he is gone. No amount of speculation on what really happened that fateful day is going to change that. We will never know the exact truth of what really happened other than two leople died in a very horrific way and left behind many who loved them
I read that he an Jasmine broke up a year or two ago. I read he had a new girlfriend. Not sure if the information was accurate but several other sites made mention of another girlfriend that was not Jasmine.
They might have been talking about the mother of his child, not another girlfriend.
No, it specifically said current gf not mother of child.
Jasmine was there at the charity event with him, as was his daughter. His friend had to break it to her that he died. He said she collapsed. But the daughter needed to be told. Jasmine went and found the daughter and told her and they left the charity event together.
@Jaya it should be said that his publicist and team have now posted through official channels that this is not true. His daughter (thankfully) was not there. I don’t necessarily think a story like this is malicious (I heard it too) but if it is a lie that should be known.
@eliza – Actually, I think we may very well find out exactly what happened. I read on a few other sites that the entire wreck was captured on camera… by a couple standing nearby. They saw the car (but not who was inside), & said they thought they were filming an ‘action movie’ or something, & took out their phones. They had *no idea* what was happening, & captured the entire thing on camera, which they’ve given to the police (& hasn’t been made public). I pray to God they don’t make it public, EVER. Some things just shouldn’t be seen.
There was also a more blurry video that was taken from the roof of a nearby building by a security camera. It was hard to see what was going on, as it was a little ways away, but the one thing you can see clearly, I read, is a giant fireball when the car burst into flames. I really hope the deaths were instant. =( This whole thing just *blows*.
I was wondering when the underage girlfriend story would come out. The tabloids usually allow about 24 hours of sadness before they try to rip the celebrity to shreds. Let me save them the time : he started dating a 16 year old when he was in his thirties…that’s disgusting and shows him to be a deeply flawed person. There. It’s been said, let’s move on and let him rest in peace.
Yeah, I thought I had heard about that some time back and wondered with the way the news is today, why they waited so long to leak it.. To me the whole coverage is pretty gross. I have never understood why news agencies feel the need to ask a grieving person how they feel. How the f-ck do you think they feel? Gah, it’s just disgusting. (Sorry I heard his dad break down on the radio first thing this morning and it’s been bothering me since)
I’m with you ladies…amongst other shady incidents in his past.
I think he did a lot of noteworthy things for good, charitable organizations, but I’m not sure his personal life was one that should be emulated.
The Daily Mail didn’t take long. First I had heard of it was the exploitive story they wrote on it the day after he died.
See, what rubs me about that is that I’ve been told by people on this site that it was common knowledge that he had started up with his girlfriend when she was sixteen. My questions are, how do we even know that its true? I mean, did he do like Jerry Seinfeld did and actually bring the girl as his date, and introduce her around as his girlfriend? Or did he just bring her to a function?
And if it was common knowledge, why is it that the Dailymail decided to do that article, the day after he died, and use the words “supposedly”–with no sources. There wasn’t a the FF star and his girlfriend made their first outing as a couple at so and so premiere, seven years ago.” There was no “according to a source, the pair have been dating for seven years”—nothing like that. So how am I, a person who was completely ignorant of this guy’s name up until Sunday, supposed to believe that he was dating an underage girl, just because the Dailymail said so.
For all we know, he could’ve known her or her family for a while–but we don’t really know.
I’m not trying to say that he wasn’t dating her while underage, but I just find it odd that people are saying that it’s common knowledge–when I’ve never heard a thing about it until he died–way to stay classy Dailymail. I mean I’ve been reading Celebitchy for four years; the Dailymail almost as long—I’ve NEVER read a single story about this guy on either sites. If his personal life was so scandalous, why didn’t the Dailymail come out with this article when the last FF movie came out? It wasn’t THAT important to them, if true, until he died.
And just to wade into the morality debate, I don’t know how I feel about it. One one hand I’m like ‘meh’, on the other ‘statutory rape’. I’m guessing that those two would’ve have had to be really, truly in love–one of those once in a lifetime loves. Especially since they were together for so long–seven years is a long time. But I live in a town where a lot of teen girls date older guys. I wouldn’t do it, simply because I wouldn’t want that person to go to jail for me. But I see it so much that I don’t even really blink at it.
So I’m honestly wondering how he knew her, and how exactly they got together. I don’t think you can help how you feel about someone, but its what you do after that counts. I mean, was it a Liberty Ross/Rupert Sanders situation–Rupert Sanders was five or six years older than Liberty–and they met when she was 15 or 16 (he was friends with her brother). And Liberty said something like they knew that they really liked each other, but he wanted her to experience life or something–so they didn’t get together until she was 21 or 22.
But its just me speculating. I just find it beyond gross that that was the first thing the Dailymail had up on Monday.
When I was 15 I had a 25 boyfriend… my best friend was 15 and her bf 27 they’ve married for almost 20 years now (they got married when she was 21) and that was never a problem. the fact he stayed with her for 7 years testifies about his intentions. People have nothing with that. So it’s no one’s business, it’s not like he harassed her or anything. You don’t stay 7 years with someone just because you have some pedo-feels inside of you. It’s not your business and I don’t see how you can say he’s a deeply flawed person because of that.
@Barbara
Not our business?
By that logic his death is no one’s business either
His good looks does not exonerate him.
A man in his 30s dating a 21 year old fine but a 16 year old??
I have a feeling if this were Kanye West some would not be so forgiving
Given what you say of your personal experiences @Barbara I can see why you “don’t understand”. It’s OK, I wish you well. The severe damage most (not all) of these types of relationships cause to both parties is pretty clear though. I question the sense of a man in the public eye (hell, any man) who opens himself up to that.
The point is it’s moot now. The tabloids will have a field day but all that is relevant is his family loved him and he died an horrific death.
I knew about his underage girlfriend for years and that was the only fault I had with him. This was gossip that I mentioned on the previous post about Paul but I never said what it was. Most people were saying how he remained gossip free and you never heard anything bad about him. Well it was out there, I guess if it’s a celebrity that you don’t pay close attention to, you might miss it. She was 16 when she started dating Paul who was 33. I’ve been a fan of Paul for years so he was one of the actors that I constantly tried to keep tabs on. I’m not excusing his behavior but what’s the point of dredging it up now. If there was a post on C/B before he died about his dating habits then of course this topic would have been up for discussion. Don’t harbor on it now because most of you just learned about it.
As for speed being the cause of the accident, they are now saying that the car was only going about 45mph but they were in a 15mph zone. Still from the pics you would think he was driving at an excessive speed of 80 or more.
On the post about animals being mistreated on movie sets I mentioned how much I loved the movie Eight Below. I said how hard it would be to watch that movie again knowing how those dogs were treated. Now I will watch it with a heavy heart knowing that the lovely Mr. Walker is no longer with us. I’m also sure he wasn’t a part of the animal crueltly since he loved animals and had dogs himself.
BTW as one commenter mentioned, if this had been Kanye we wouldn’t be so forgiving. Well we wouldn’t forgive Kanye for much anyways because he’s a d_ck; something Walker was not. But I will admit I was a bit bias because it was Paul but he wasn’t known for going after girls that were too young in the fashion of James Woods. He did date girls of appropriate age such as Jessica Alba, Christina Milian and Jordana Brewster. Sorry it boils your blood that he fell in love with such a young girl but as you can see they were still together and he wasn’t just looking for kicks.
I know society in general frowns on these types of relationships but how soon we forget that centuries ago teen girls were being married off to men many years older and that was the norm.
One last thing to add, I know most people on this site loves the singer Lorde but her boyfriend is 25 and she is 17. She was 16 when she atarted dating him.
@Mia4S That’s a disgusting thing to say. You shouldn’t conclude that he was disgusting and deeply flawed because he began dating someone two years under US legal age. He was in a relationship with her for seven years, it wasn’t a flimsy thing. He was raised Mormon and at his time of death, identified as Christian. His beliefs of right and wrong may differ from yours but that does not make him deeply flawed. She’s a twenty-three year old, beautiful woman, and he was a kind man. I doubt he treated her badly given she was still with him after seven years.
@V4Real.
Your comment –
Boils my blood? I know you’re a fan but its not that serious for me
And his not known for going after very young girls is NOT true.
It may not be known but Jasmine was not his first teen or a one off.
But as Mia4S said the man did good deeds and passed quite horifically so I’ll leave it at that
But I wonder how many women would rationlize this or defer it to cultural leanings if it were not someone aesthetically pleasing
“He was raised Mormon and at his time of death, identified as Christian”
…and this is relevant how exactly?
Are you insinuating that religious people can’t be deeply flawed? I strongly disagree with this.
I will jump to the defense of “Mia4S” by agreeing with her that Paul Walker’s romantic/sexual/intimate relationship with a 16 year old was digusting, aberrant, and criminal (the legal age of consent in California is 18). It’s not, as “Jaja,” would have us believe okay for a man to prey on a child just because he has a strong religious faith. Quite the opposite. This is not merely about “flaws” in a person’s behaviour, but about someone who knowingly committed criminal behaviour by breaking a long held taboo in our society: sex with a minor.
I have always wondered why Walker’s career stalled in recent years. He had the connections, looks and talent to hit the big time. It’s safe to assume that his career suffered either directly or indirectly because producers and directors did not want their shows tainted by association with a pervert. And unlike the author of this post, I do think that we should not whitewash over his being a statutory rapist just because he tried to ease his conscious by engaging in charitable actions.
What strikes me in reading this thread is that die-hard fans will do anything to protect the image of famous people with whom they identify. The discussion here shows why fans protect the reputation of and faciliatethe gross behavior of perverts like Ian Watkins (a Welsh popstar recently convicted of pedophilia).
No, his beliefs don’t make him deeply flawed but dating a CHILD does.. but that wasn’t the point of Mia’s post, all I got from that was it happened, let’s move on..
@Jegede well I’m speaking for what is known about him as truth, not rumors. So if you know so much about him going after teen girls let’s see your facts.
Also please don’t take parts of my comments just to prove your points without commenting on the rest. I did say I wasn’t excusing his behavior. I did say if his dating habits were posted on C/B as a topic before his death it would be up for discussion. I did say the fault I had with him was that he dated a teenager. But perhaps you were too busy looking for the negative that caused you to miss all that.
@Koobook I am a fan of Walker but I am also a fan of a lot of other celebrities that have flaws as well. Do I think it was wrong that he dated a teen, yes. If you read my comment you will see that I did. I’m only responding to your comment of wondering why his career stalled. It didn’t. Paul has said many times that he was able to take the roles that he wanted and that wasn’t so demanding of his time. Acting was just a job to him to support his family. He wasn’t looking for Oscar nominated roles. He didn’t attend the Hollywood parties because that wasn’t what he wanted. His main joy in life was to surf, spend time with his family and various charities. He chose F&F franchise because of his love of cars and not having to work so much in between the sequels. But we know that he did take on other jobs because they were roles he wanted to do. He was not trying to be the next Hugh Jackman, Brad Pitt or Clooney. So how again did his career stall? Hours is going to be released this month.
What does religion have to do with it? How does him being a Mormon somehow make it okay that a GROWN MAN was dating a TEENAGER? All I have to do is look at who I was at 16, to who I was at 23, to who I am now at 29 to know how wrong and inappropriate it was for him to date a teenager who probably couldn’t even rationalize their relationship properly (it is a scientific fact that the reasoning part of a person’s brain doesn’t fully mature until we are in our mid 20s). His death saddened me and his charitable work is admirable, but after hearing how he was with a 16 year old girl, I will be honest – it bothers me. And yes, I think it does say a lot as to who he was as a person. The fact that he tried to keep it so hidden speaks to the fact that he likely knew himself how wrong it was.
@V4Real
I contradicted a point you made I assume to me, (a point which acording to you ‘made my blood boil’ lol) and I have my reasons for doing so.
I don’t have to show you my facts on anything; if you believe I am on CB to randomly peddle rumours about Paul Walker so be it.
@koobook – Apparently
@koobook Perhaps his career ‘stalled’ because of his extensive work with charities, did you consider that? I’m not a manic fan, and I’m also not American- which might be why I think sixteen is old enough to decide who you want to date on your own terms. She wasn’t twelve. He didn’t pick her up from middle school. I’ll chalk this up to being a disconnect. American laws in some states differ from those I’m used to.
@littlestar I’m not sure why you think he tried to keep it hidden? He was not a public person as far as I can tell, in any way. He didn’t dive for cover in pap pics.. So I don’t know what you’re talking about there.
@ jegede “I don’t have to show you my facts on anything; if you believe I am on CB to randomly peddle rumours about Paul Walker so be it.”
Your words not mine. Also you stated that him going after teenagers as if it was a fact, not a rumor so that’s why I said show your proof. No one is saying Paul was perfect, he was far from it. But if your main issue with him is that he was dating a girl who was 16, well ok, 16 is young. But let’s not forget that 16 is the age of consent in a lot of North American states. Perhaps your problem shouldn’t be with Paul but take issue with some of the state laws that say it is not legal for a 16 year old to date a 40 year old man.
To be blunt Jaja, you’re doing a very poor job of defending/coming up with a justified reason for why a man in his 30s dating a teenager is okay. Which goes to show that it is wrong.
I don’t care what country you come from, there is not going to be too many 16 year olds anywhere in this world who are mentally mature enough, experienced enough with life, or rational enough to ever have a normal relationship with a grown man.
Actually, I wouldn’t put that much emphasis on his mormonism. He may have been raised mormon and went to a born-again christian HS but he was, in fact, very anti-mormon (his uncle is in the same ward as my cousin – it’s pretty well known he didn’t like to be identifed as mormon) and pretty much did everything and said everything he could to distance himself from their organization: tattoos, rampant cursing, pre-martial sex, child out of wedlock, drinking, a felony back when he was 18, etc…so I don’t understand why now that he’s dead most people want to elevate him to sainthood. He was a nice guy that did nice things for charities and his friends, but FROM HIS OWN MOUTH has said he did some pretty shady things in life. Let’s face it, the man wasnt perfect from a mormon, christian or any other POV or definition the world wants to give him. No one is. A sexual relationship with a 16 year old when he was 33…sleeping with his exgirlfriend’s FRIENDS while they were together…yeah. That’s going to be discussed. No sense in sweeping it under the rug.
I’m sorry he’s dead. May he RIP. The world missed out on a decent person and enjoyable, talented and nice to look at entertainer…but I won’t be worshipping at his altar anytime soon.
For the record, he dated a 15 year old girl (I would call her a woman but 15 is not a woman yet) for a brief time before he met the currant girlfriend who was 16 when they began dating. When you get older, like me 😉 , you realize that it takes a very immature 30-something person to date such a young girl. Dating teens speaks to his immaturity, as does the reckless disregard for speed in this accident. I know he was not driving, but do you think he was complaining? Do you think he hasn’t done this many times before? It is a fact that the POSTED speed limit on that street is 45MPH; judging by the car being ripped apart, my husband estimates they were driving 80 to 100 MPH. I am not just sitting in judgment, this is indeed a tragedy, but I see a pattern of questionable choices here.
Sixteen is the age of consent in a lot of places. No, I would not want my daughter dating a thirty-year-old at that age, but comparing him to a man who wants to rape babies? COME ON.
ETA: This was meant for the person who mentioned Ian Watkins.
I wasn’t comparing Walker to Watkins. I was pointing out the harm done by fans who participate in defending and protecting famous people who break the law.
thank you. thinking of my precocious self at 16, yeah, I would have dated him (if my parents let me)
I was reading some of the comments below & realized that I needed to stop when disgust set in…So, I am coming back up here to say this: I am utterly dismayed at many of the sentiments expressed below. I’m disappointed in the narrow minded thinking expressed by some posters; frankly, I expect more from the people on this particular site. I don’t know the details concerning how PW met his girlfriend. As a result, I won’t be making an ignorant judgment given that my cousin 7 years my junior was always the one the boys would attempt to approach when we were out at the beach together as they incorrectly assumed she was much older than she was. I was 22 & she was 15! They thought I was the younger one until I set them straight & informed them that she embodies why they better ask for a license if they want to avoid legal trouble in the future. Can any of you who said some of the really terrible statements below state that you know for certain PW knew for certain she was underage before he fell for her? Perhaps she didn’t tell him because she worried he wouldn’t pursue her if he knew? Some of the comments below…he has a daughter, y’all. It must be nice to be as perfect as all of you!
I got into FB debate over this. I played the devil’s advocate. I have to say while I was heartbroken and sickened over the tragic death and circumstances, the only sobering detail was this “questionable” choice.
I didn’t know my stance until someone began the debate. The preface was essentially what I read from the detractors – his fame, money and good looks do not excuse dating a minor as an adult.
I thought to myself we don’t know what happens behind closed doors. When I was 21 I dated a very noble 29 yr old who questioned our rel’s. He was afraid we didn’t have as much in common and I was in over my head. He felt guilty. But I sensed our connection transcended beyond our age and life experience gap. I could’ve dated other boys closer to my age, but being precocious and mature, I found I had more in common with him than them. Boys my age were so unevolved. I was attracted to his soul…and smoldering good looks. He was everything I wanted. And also he knew much more about treating a lady in ways that completely eluded my peers. He could respectfully take me out to dinner and movies and it wasn’t just about sex. As a matter of fact we spent a great deal of time being celibate b/c he did not feel 100% confident and comfortable about our relationship. Plus, I was a college student with no income and he was a working man with a career and a house. It was nice and refreshing to never face any issues related to gender roles: if we were peers we would have both struggled find a place to be together ( I obviously lived at home when school was not in session). He always always paid the bill, and for an independent girl it was very important for me to allow someone to take care of me. He always drove me home and walked me to the front door or sometimes followed me home when I drove. When I slept over, unfortunately we did not always have sex. But when we did – the earth moved. Lol. (Sorry. But I feel the elephant in the room in discussing these kinds of rel’s is intimacy so we may as well go there). Sex with 2 people in a complex situation is always the best.
So that’s just my story. My 29 yr old boyfriend wanted to wait and I was the one who was sure. He wanted me to be 28 before he could feel I’d had my chance to really explore to know he was the one. Perhaps Paul and Jasmine had the same experience. In other words Paul may have struggled with his feelings about dating Jasmine, acknowledging that he felt the connection between he and Jasmine, but all the while experienced cognitive dissonance on what would serve as the appropriate relationship. They may have had an open relationship, placing distance between themselves all those 7 yrs only coming back together on again off again…until they realized they are meant to be in each other’s lives…
They were driving in a business park that is practically deserted on the weekends. If you watch the video that shows the moment of impact, there were no other cars. People drove over because they could see the smoke. I had heard early on that the car had been stalling out so they were driving it to test it out. There is a curve right before they crashed. If the car failed in some way, it probably flew around that corner and launched them right into the trees and the light pole.
Which somehow makes this story even worse. I am always particularly saddened by car death, just because of the frequency, variety of damage, lack of control (other people causing an accident) and likelihood of one being in a accident over their lifetime. But to die so violently while just testing out the car?
Is it true then? Walker was a 33-year old ‘dating’ a 15-16 year old??!
Yes, and she lived with him in Santa Barbara. This wasn’t exactly secret. I remember hearing about it from SEVERAL other places when the news first came out a few years ago. People just didn’t discuss it after the news first came out (they were pretty much tried to keep it on the DL) because there were OTHER more dramatic celebrity train-wrecks to focus on.
Oh my god. Isn’t that ra
Oh my god. Isn’t that rape then?
I see lots of other commenters are bringing up qualifiers from different periods in time (I.e their grandparents got married at 13 and 25, etc).
I’m just asking, point blank, as an outsider, is that not considered rape in the state of California, whether the girl went along with it or not?
This story just gets worse. I was watching access Hollywood live yesterday and they were talking to one of the guys who was at the event and he said they were not racing and said they were only gone 5 min before they crashed. He also said that pauls daughter and rogers son was there. Rogers son was the one who told his mother about the accident. According to pauls dad, his daughter is not taking it well. I just hope the media and the paps have enough respect to leave her alone.
I didn’t think I would be so affected by his death. It’s just so tragic and shocking. He wasn’t a saint and he wasn’t perfect but none of us are. I keep hearing stories about how nice he was. All of this makes my heart hurt. I just hope his daughter has the right people around her.
huh
so, is it because he died he gets a pass for being a pedophile?
or is it because, unlike the courtney stoddard situation, they never married? or because he was 33, not 53, when they started dated?
It’s sad his family is grieving.
He is not suddenly vindicated, in my eyes, of being a pedophile, just because he died tragically.
It is what it is, and I did not know he was until this story. My thoughts about him, his movies and his acting, clicked to nothing after reading he dated a 16 year old when he was 33.
There is no justifying this, no vindication, because he died, for me. None.
yes, I am that hard on pedophiles.
edited to add: I find the comments defending his choice disturbing. Someone actually posted that because they were together for a long time, that means he treated her well, this means it was ok. It’s not ok. It’s illegal for a reason, and it’s statutory rape.
It does not matter how “nice” he was to her. She was 16, he was 33. It’s NOT ok.
Well I’m glad you got that out. Do you feel better now?
A pedophile is attracted to children. I think the term you’re looking for is ephebophilia.
I seriously side-eye any adult man who’d get involved with a teenager, but sixteen is the age of consent in many, many places, in the US and around the world. I live in Ohio, for example, and their relationship would have been perfectly legal.
http://www.ageofconsent.us/
Thanks Samtha 🙂
Sure, it may be legal, but morally and/or intellectually, it is wrong.
@ Samtha –
I live in California, and their relationship would have been perfectly ILLEGAL. In fact, it would have been illegal in 40 out of 50 states. I’m sorry you live in Ohio.
@littlestar, you have the right to think that a man of 33 dating a 16 year old is wrong, that’s your opinion. But to bring in morals, makes me think your moral compass points to the sky where you haven’t done anything ever that others might consider morally wrong. How quick are we to judge without looking in the mirror. Some people might think premaritial sex is morally wrong but most of us probably would disagree with them.
V4Real, I’m not even going to bother debating with you if you’re going to say things like “your moral compass points to the sky where you haven’t done anything ever that others might consider morally wrong”. You’re telling me to not be quick to judge when you’re on here doing the exact same thing? I swear you were saying up thread that him dating a teen was wrong, now you’re telling me I’m wrong for saying he’s wrong?… Must be a different V4REal or something…
Maybe “morally” was a wrong word choice. I should have said suspect. Dating a teenager makes him suspect. Regardless, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a moral that makes you think there’s something wrong with an adult dating a teenager.
@Ms. Krabapple who said “it would have been illegal in 40 out of 50 states. I’m sorry you live in Ohio.” You’re information is wrong.
@littlestar, I never said to you don’t judge, I said how quick we are to judge, I judge people all the time. Don’t get me started on Goop. But what I don’t do is throw morals into the debate. That’s almost like telling people just because you don’t believe in God you’re going to hell. Yes I said I thought it was wrong but I got over it since I knew about his relationship with her for years and not just today like most of you are finding out. I said I found fault with that but who am I to say what is morally wrong about another person when some states would say he hasn’t broken any laws. I didn’t call you out for stating your opinion about how you felt about him dating a teenager, I only called you out because you had to throw morals into it. Now if you haven’t done anything that some people would consider morally wrong than kudos to you. But like I also said some people would probably think it is morally wrong to have premaritial sex , gay sex and so on. Morals takes it to a different level.
@littlestar, it’s morally wrong *in your opinion*. Like I said, it’s something I side-eye myself, and something I would object to for my daughter and stepdaughter.
On the other hand, when I was sixteen, I dated a 28-year-old whom I’m still friends with. He was always a gentleman and treated me very well.
None of us know the nature of their relationship well enough to judge whether it was inappropriate or not.
@Mrs.Krabapple, yes the legality varies. That’s why I posted the link. Legality and morality are not necessarily the same thing. That’s part of my point–people saying, “It’s immoral! It’s illegal!” as if being illegal is proof of being immoral. Well, it’s not illegal everywhere. Does that then mean it’s not immoral everywhere? It’s a poor argument, and a shitty excuse for calling someone a pedophile.
My grandmother married my grandfather when she was 13 (he was 28). They had a very happy marriage and she bore him 12 children (6 doctors, one accountant, one lawyer). They both passed when they were in their 80s. Are you going to judge them? I see your point, but my point is don’t judge, especially when you don’t know the circumstances.
@ RJ My grandparents got married at 15 and 40 and were happily married for 42 years ’till my grandfathers death. Their story was actually really romantic.
Their story I know and that of course influences my perception on their situation (I only realised that my grandpa was that much older last year, while he died in the nineties). I don’t know what the deal was here with Paul, so yeah I am sceptical. It feels like no matter if I am an apologist or an accuser, I’ll always sound like a hypocrite.
Btw I do find it odd that there are complaints about this getting a pass, because every single gossip site is talking about this and the majority of commenters seem shocked.
V v well said. I don’t consider a 33 year old dating a 16 year old “a flaw “, it’s a crime.
Depends on where you live honey. In some states 16 is the age of consent. You can consider whatever you want but you don’t get to decide what is a crime or not unless you make the laws.
BTW I never sad that I agreed with him dating someone that young but I did say I was bias because it was a person that I adored. What I meant by that is that I still liked him even if he dated a girl of 16 , which in some states are consdered the age of consent, maybe not CA. But all the pearl cluchers are acting like this is such a dispicable act and he should be damed to hell. He was dating a girl who was 16, not 12. Some people were probably having sex at that age with a person of 21 but we wouldn’t think much about it because the age gap is closer. If it’s against the law it shouldn’t matter the age gap be that person 5 years older or 15 years older.
Also please don’t go making any assumptions that I am defending Paul because he was someone I adored. I also defended Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s right to date a woman in her late 30’s while he was only 17.
@Snappyfish
Exactly. A 33 year old dating a 16 year old is not a “flaw.” It creeps me out that people are labeling it as such. Crime or not (and it looks as if it is a crime in California), it is seriously disturbing on many levels. As someone up thread pointed out, our brains (particularly areas used for decision-making) are not even developed until our mid-twenties. I think about myself at 16, and myself now at almost 32, and I am a totally different person. There is a world of growth and maturity between one’s teen years and one’s thirties. And, further, I’m not yet a parent, but I am a teacher of 14 year- old kids. No, not 16, but close enough. Some may look like adults, but they are kids! I am reminded every day of how young, inexperienced, naive they are each time I engage them in discussion or read their pieces of writing. No way a kid as young as 16 is prepared to date someone in his 30’s. And as for the argument that they were together for 7 years, so he must have treated her nicely- that does NOT make it okay.
The ’05 Carrera GT is an awful car. It’s not the first time Porsche has sold a death trap, and it won’t be the last. They have a bad history of releasing cars for general sale that really have no business being on the road. Even professional drivers on closed tracks in pristine conditions had a terrible time handling that car.
define awful? my SO has a porsche carrera, they are powerful & can be death machines unless you’re an incredibly skilled driver. he’s a racer & has a healthy respect for the power of the vehicle. it takes a lot of experience and skill to handle a car like that-it really should be for track only, but a fool and his money are soon parted (status symbol)
I liked how unpretentious he was. He wasn’t a fame ho like some of these actors. In fact, he said in one interview he wasn’t comfortable being the big name carrying a film and the red carpets and everything. He like being the guy behind someone else. Here is a great article about the sides to Paul people didn’t know, that he wasn’t just a pretty boy that got lucky in some movies and not particularly interesting otherwise. I got teary-eyed reading him talking about what his daughter moving in with him had done for him.
http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/12/01/the-sides-of-paul-walker-you-may-have-missed/
Is it common for a car to malfunction causing the speed to increase to near 100mph? I don’t think so, but I’m not a car accident t investigator. There were skid marks indicating the approximate speed the vehicle was traveling at before the crash and the car STILL hit with that high speed at impact. Debris flew and broke second floor windows…
It’s sad and very tragic. My heart goes out to his family and any family that has an unexpected and/or tragic loss. Sometimes good people use bad judgment but it doesn’t make it any less sad to see people killed in an accident.
I don’t know much about cars. But if the suspension breaks , it may cause the car to increase its speed. But I am not entirely sure.
Miss M. I hope you’re holding up ok. I know you adored him, faults and all.
@V4real: I think I am holding up better than I thought I would be. Thanks.
I cannot even imagine the pain his family and friends are going through, 🙁
As soon as I heard it I felt brokenhearted for the family and and both understood and was angry at the people making fun of it (because of his movies and way of driving,etc). 18 months ago I lost my mom in an car accident when she went off the road and was ejected from it and died instantly. She had only been diagnosed with terminal bone cancer a couple of months before that and was on her way to my house with a packed car (finally escaping a terrible relationship) to live with me so I could take care of her. To get that call on the train home from work that she had died emotionally punched me heart-crushingly hard, and it was made worse by the fact that we all knew she was a bad driver and it had always been a macabre family joke that one day she was going to do real damage to something other than a parked car. We wanted to keep it quiet to avoid hassle from a lot of terrible people, only to find out that the police had released her name and the photo of her smashed car to the local tv, paper and radio. To get a call the day she died to be told there were photos of her accident online, we all felt violated, hurt and angry. Long story short, I understand the want to know the details and to say “really, you’re surprised” , but having been on the other side I know anything is possible, even the bad things. Wait until we’re ready to discuss those parts before you say anything other than I’m sorry.
I can’t even imagine…your story is heart-breaking and horrific.
I’m very, very sorry for your loss.
Thank you, that’s very thoughtful.
How sad, Really. And losing someone in an accident like that is jarring, especially in your circumstances., that your mom was coming to live with you and you wanted that time with her while ill. My friend’s father died in an accident, one car, no other cars, and it was like a nightmare. getting that call, no forewarning. She found out more than she wanted to know hoping it would give her closure but instead broke her heart reading the autopsy findings and knowing he suffered before he died.
The coroner told us not to get the autopsy results, as it’s very hard on the family, and luckily Mom didn’t look like she had been in an accident. The big mistake we made when looking for closure was the day after she died we went to the wreckers to get what we could out of her car and then later that night drove along the highway to find the spot it happened. To see her little car absolutely smashed and twisted and stuff everywhere was bad enough but to go to the spot was even worse. The week before,my daughter had been at her house and had put little post it notes everywhere saying “we all love you Grammie” and little sweet things like that. I guess my Mom had put them in her purse so they were scattered everywhere, along with pictures and her appt books, etc. It didn’t bring closure, it just made me and my sister hysterical trying to pick everything out of the ice and water like pieces of her oatmeal and random things. Hopefully your friend finds some peace later with it, as the search for closure definitely clouds your judgement if looked for too soon.
@Really. I’m so sorry for your loss, thanks for sharing. What you said was well stated and we should all take your advice.
Oh my, no one should ever have to be faced with that prospect. I’m so sorry to hear about your loss Really. I hope you found peace and comfort in the happy memories you shared with her. xx
@really, I believe I read your post about this on Jezebel. I wanted to comment, but I stopped commenting over there a while ago. I’m so sorry for your loss and that you were forced to relive it via the media. That is the point I was trying to make up thread. It really isn’t our story, it’s yours and up to you how it should be shared (if at all). Also, it may be helpful to know that the coroners report probably wouldn’t have told you anything you needed to know. I hope you are able to forget the painful memories of the accident and hold on to what you love about your mom. What makes her special to you and your family. All my best.
I don’t visit jezebel but I did post something on Pajiba a couple months ago. I think it was an article about loss. Either way, I appreciate the kindness. And you’re right, the coroner’s report would not have been any more helpful than the coroner himself, who was very kind and professional. We were just glad to know the circumstances and that it was almost instant for her. Off duty firemen saw her go off the road so if anyone could have saved her, it would have been done. After the car, the details and the scene, believe it or not, sister and I figure she put the window down and was reaching for a cigarette from the bag on the floor and she happened to swerve enough to hit the shoulder and so on. You have all been so kind and I take it heart.
Original Kay are you done there? Gotten this off your chest…yet. People have their demons and who are went judge unless they are hurting other people. It seems since they dated for a long time that maybe just maybe your idea of their relationship is wrong. Could it be the case that there are nuances in life. I’m not saying what he did was wrong but to conseem the man is stupid especially in light of all the charity he did. Clearly he was someone who cared about people and helping elliviate peoples suffering. How many non “pedophiles” went to Haiti after the earthquake. I think in life you have to judge things accordingly and not everything is so black and white. Also respect the fact that a person is dead. At least have respect for the dead jeez
No
This is completely black and white.
There is no justification for dating a 33 year old to date a 16 year old. The laws are in place for a reason and there is no middle ground for me concerning pedophilia.
What do you think about Lorde being only 16 and dating a 25 year old? Are you going to rip her apart? I know we all have our moral compass that points in different directions and I’m not saying Walker was right to date someone who wasn’t of legal age. I even said Paul couldn’t you have waited until she was 18 or moved to NY where the consent is 17. I’m just saying it happened and her parents knew about it. So wouldn’t they be just as much to blame as Paul for allowing the relationship to continue. You call him a pedophilia but what are her parents? One of my understandings of a pedophile is that that person has exclusive sexual interest toward prepubescent children. I don’t think Paul fits that definition. I don’t think he was waiting outside the high school saying let me take my pick of the 16 year olds.
I remember the post about Aaron Taylor Johnson. Not many people were saying his wife Sam was a pedophile, they mainly said that Aaron lacked the emotional maturity level for a relationship because he was so young. He was about 17 when they started dating and she was in her late 30’s.
@ORIGINAL KAY
SAMTHA
December 3, 2013 at 11:42 am
A pedophile is attracted to children. I think the term you’re looking for is ephebophilia.
I seriously side-eye any adult man who’d get involved with a teenager, but sixteen is the age of consent in many, many places, in the US and around the world. I live in Ohio, for example, and their relationship would have been perfectly legal.
http://www.ageofconsent.us/
@ Amber5Ash —
Well, I live in California, and their relationship would have been perfectly ILLEGAL. In fact, their relationship would have been illegal in 40 out of 50 states.
You clearly don’t know what pedophila is. This was not a pedophile. Was it inappropriate yes does if make him the devil NO.
Also my stance on speaking on the dead… Unless it’s a mass murderer or serial killer or rapist or something else soooo awful just shut up. Death is real and it’s sad for people who are left behind. Who are you to judge. You guys are so heartless. Hopefully at your gravesite people won’t be talking about all the awful Stuff you’ve done
By definition, this man was not a pedophile. Pedophiles are attracted to prepubescent children. A sixteen year old would almost certainly not be prepubescent.
I understand the police have to look at all possible lines of enquiry and dismissed the drag racing possibility. They have a job to do, I respect that however releasing possibilities that he was drag racing and speed as possible factors is disrespectful to the family and only adds to their grief further. They should have just kept it at ‘we are investigating all possible lines of enquiry’.
It breaks my heart so much to read about Roger’s eight year old son, seeing his dad die before his eyes and to tell his mother the news. No one should ever have to go through that, let alone an innocent child. I didn’t know about the girlfriend being there. How awful for them all. Watching his dad upset, telling him how much he loved him all the time and clearly very distraught was upsetting.
I knew he was dating a young girl at very young age for a while and his ex girlfriend (not the one who he had the daughter with) was young too when they dated, kept on friendly terms. At the time, I did get put off by it. But now f*ck it, he’s gone and let’s focus on the good he did.
Just read about Vin Diesel visiting the crash site and said something very short and brief kind words about Paul and thanked the fans. When he was talking, he was choking back the tears. His passing has had a profound affect on his colleagues, family and friends.
Every life is valuable.
Much continued love, strength and prayers to both families and friends of Paul Walker & Roger Rodas.
Beautifully said. The world is not black and white. I really enjoyed reading this article about him: http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/12/01/the-sides-of-paul-walker-you-may-have-missed/
Haiti, Chile, the Philippines, Alabama, Indonesia… this was a guy with a lot of heart and empathy. He made a great difference. I will keep his charity in my mind for the future.
For the people talking about how it’s being reported that the car was only going “about 45 mph,” are you sure? I believe the actual speed limit in that area is 45 mph, as it is shown on the light pole that was knocked down with a 45 mph sign on it. I very highly doubt a car THAT demolished only crashed at a rate of 45 mph. From the reports, it seems speed was a factor, along with an extremely unsafe car and possible driver error and car malfunctions. All of this combined leads to a very horrible and tragic end for these two men.
I don’t have anything to say about his personal life, but it’s a very tragic thing that happened to him and his friend, and I wish their families peace.
Chelsea — give the crash reconstruction team time.
As far as how fast they were going and how “demolished” the wreck was, please remember there was a fire with flammable liquids. The pictures being shown are from a wreck post-giant-fire. And the fuel involved would make the fire burn hotter.
If it had just been the crash without the fire, it would not have been such a mangled heap.
And maybe (and this is a maybe, because they are still processing what happened) it would have been a crash with sore necks and bruises rather than crash with death 🙁
I am the first person who rip apart and judge a person, but in this situation this actor does not deserve to be ripped apart for dating someone when she was 16 and he was 33. They were together for 7 years and apparently her family, his family, friends and career did not mind.
Walker was not a pedophile.
16 year olds are capable of being responsible adults. 16 year olds are capable of being in relationships with people that are not teens either. Maturity levels differ in many people.
When did this country start to categorize teenagers into helpless babies? These are not children. A ten year old is a child. A 16 year old is not. I remember being 16, which was not all that long ago and we were treated as adults. We worked, paid rent, supported our families and had responsibilities. This idea of walking on glass around teens needs to stop. No wonder we live in a society were young people are not taking responsibility for their actions and babied. It’s because we are raising them that way.
Don’t trash Paul Walker because of this. He did a lot of good things with his fame. Let him RIP before everyone stomps on his grave.
@hopperlea: Many 15 year old are more mature than many 16 year old. Walker’s daughter is 15 years old. Do you think it would be lovely if she was dating a man in his thirties? I bet not.
My entire post and that is the only thing you see.
Well, Walker’s daughter is none of my business and neither are her choices. Apparently her own mother did not have a problem with Walker’s choices either since she agreed to let her daughter live him and his girlfriend.
Do I think you read and actually understood my post? I bet not.
@hopperlea: Are you serious? You think I didn’t comprehend your post? Your post could not have been more simplistic. It is you who missed the salient point.
I agree with everything you say.
We don’t have any clue when they started having sex. If he met her at 16 and was attracted to her and fell in love with her but did not intiate a physical relationship until she was of age, then I think all the pediophilia accusations are baseless. Plus being attracted to a teen is not pediophilia.
Do you really think that dude waited 2 years to have sex with his girlfriend?
This car sounds like a death trap. I hope they see a huge drop in sales.
Only 1300 were made worldwide. It’s a specialty car. It costs more than a house. I doubt there are many buyers. In fact, there are less of these cars in the world now because of frequent accidents.
Paul Walker’s Reach Out Worldwide charity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiGCqsq9aCE
So many people on here defending him for dating the 16 year old where were you people on the Doug Hutchison and Courtney Stodden tread when their relationship was made public? Is it because PW is more attractive (sarcasm). Yes, 16 is an age of consent in some states but it isn’t in CA. And thus, if in fact he did have sex with her while she was still 16, he committed a crime. He never even married her. So, no it’s not illegal to “date” a 16 year old but any 33 year old grown famous man going after a 16 year old, I have to question why? There wasn’t any 18 year olds available?
There aren’t many at all, only a small handfull. Almost everyone is indignant.
@Dia: I agree with you 100%. Too many sycophants are excusing Walker’s illegal behavior.
It would only be illegal if he began having sex with her at age 16. The stuff I googled they met when he was 33 and she was 16. We have zero clue when or even if they were having sex. It is possible he waited until she was of legal age to have a sexual relationship with her. If he did wait then I don’t think it is illegal to take a 16 yo out to movies and dinner. I might not advocate it for my daughter but I really feel like we don’t have all the facts about their relationship right now.
If, in fact, he did have a sexual realtionship with at 16 yo……that’s a different story.
Before people start blaming Porsche, just look at two statements from this very pro-Walker, anti-Porsche, post above:
“Speed is said to have been a factor, based on eyewitness statements”
“That specific car had a steering fluid leak that was in the process of being repaired”
In short, Roger Rodas — not Porsche — killed Paul Walker. Yes, the Porsche is a fast car and should not be driven at high speeds on public streets like this one. But Porsche WARNED people of this. Yet Rodas chose to drive that Porsche at high speeds on that street. Furthermore, the car was in the process of being repaired by the auto shop Rodas and Walker co-owned. If the repairs were incomplete or faulty, the shop is at fault. Please stop trying to blame Porsche for this.
But I doubt my post will see the light of day, since I’m trying to put personal responsibility on the driver and auto shop owner, rather than some faceless corporation. It’s much easier to blame faceless corporations. I just think that’s unfair to Porsche. They build great cars, but they have to be used correctly.
As an experienced ex race car driver, Rodas should have known better than to drive a dangerous car that probably needed repairs on a public road that wasn’t perfectly smooth. At the same time, we all make mistakes and people can see how on a deserted office park road on a Sunday they probably went “okay” and may have even been speeding. There’s also the point that these cars are barely street legal, and even Walter Rohl spoke of how dangerous they are…..so I can understand why non car people are like “why does Porsche even sell these to drive on the streets?”
@Mrs.Krabapple and @Lark–Thank you for your input here. The death of two men in their prime is tragic. At the end of the day, accountability must be made, and Paul Walker is exempt here. To think otherwise is crazy. Regardless of Roger Rodas and Walker’s intention when they decide to take the car out for a 5 minute spin, Walker was only a passenger; neither of his hands were controlling the steering wheel, nor his right feet on the pedals. He got into the car of his friend, mentor, instructor, and business partner. He had every right to trust Rodas’ capability to handle an exotic analogue powerhouse that is the Porsche Carrera GT.
@Lark Also, I gleaned from a racing enthusiast website that Walter Rohrl’s comments regarding the Carrera GT were taken out of context and were made at a time to increase excitement for a delayed product. Also, Rohrl made the comment BEFORE the car was fitted with traction control and made right after his full attack lap in the pouring rain. Racing a 10 year old Camry in the pouring rain would turn me white! The point is that it’s not the car that is dangerous.
This story is tragic on every level, but I think once the official accident reconstruction report is released, some accountability must be made and blaming Porsche is just as ridiculous as blaming Walker. This leaves only the driver, Rodas, who paid for his life any misstep that he may have made while driving this amazing car.
The whole thing is so tragic. I know a few car enthusiasts, and from what I understand this particular car should not even really be driven on a street. The warning Porsche released that TMZ posted said it can’t even be driven over a beer can. I also don’t think a lot of people get how these high performance cars are constructed. They are meant to be as light as possible, and they basically shatter or split in half on impact. For example, there was a lambo that split in half in Brooklyn and everyone said he must have been going 100 mph…and then it turned out the guy was going 35 mph after the investigation was completed.
From what I’ve read, the road is 45mph and one corner is 15mph….and if the car malfunctioned, they could have been still been at 45 mph when they came upon that particular corner…..then if they hit a pole, it could have spun them into the tree…I’m also really grossed out by the fast and loose reporting, as someone phrased it, that has been done with this. They weren’t drag racing, the one sheriff shouldn’t have even said that because it was apparently based off of two telephone tip, and in that area in the middle of the day with cops at the event which was five minutes away it is common sense that they weren’t drag racing. They very well may have been speeding unfortunately (high performance car, deserted office park road, two men who love fast cars), but the drag racing thing made no sense.
Also, for the people going after Tyrese….Tyrese was in Paul’s brother’s wedding. They were VERY close, and apparently the closest out of the entire cast. They knew each other for over ten years. Do I get it? No. But I understand people grieve differently. Some people fling themselves on a casket and cry their eyes out, some people don’t cry at all. Tyrese falls in the former.
I believe it was very genuine. His tweets were sad because they were of just being total disbelief and not knowing how to handle it. They were very close friends.
It was sweet hearing about the ring he bought anonymously for a couple in a jewlelry store. He overhead the enlisted guy home on leave going back to Iraq tell the clerk he couldn’t afford the engagement ring when he was told the one they were looking at was 10,000. Paul called the clerk over and quietly told him to put the ring they liked on his tab and he bought it for them anonymously. When his father was told of that, he said Paul had never told him. He said he was like that. He did kind things but never bragged about it.
In this day and age where the stars set up a pap shot for whatever good deed they do or get the deed released to the press, how refreshing that he did things genuinely and didn’t even feel the need to brag to people to get a pat on the back. They said he refused to live in LA because he didn’t like the celebrity culture there and liked to live out of the limelight.
Maybe this is a weird rant but I feel like the way the media and society handles celebrity life and death is just wrong. In a way I feel like celebrity blogs give us too much access when that is the last thing we need. I used to read celebrity blogs back in college. I used to love to read celebrity blogs as a way to escape and see how the rich and famous live. Then came the trolls. Nasty people who sit behind their computer and say whatever. And I know it’s not just this blog but others and not just celebrity blogs but I wonder. why does some random stranger feel the need to comment on someones every waking breath even when someone has drawn their last breath? Why are there no limits to anything in this over saturated world. They can’t even identify his remains because of the severity of the crash but are already setting up my benches ready to watch and comment and pick here and there. I don’t condone his relationship with a minor. no one here is saying that they do but i just wonder where are you mentally were that is the first thing you think to comment on. why do we feel like we know everything about him and his situation? His daughter is teen who I am sure is active on social media, what affects will this have on her when she sees it. All the memes, all the mean jokes, all the ‘but he did this!’. It’s so cruel. I believe forgiveness and redemption are two of the most valuable things we can give and receive in life. When a family is grieving and a young girl has lost her her father why not show mercy. sometimes the internet is great and blogs can be a place of support. And then there are times when the internet is the worst I feel like this is that time. I saw on my twitter moments ago a meme which read ‘who wore it best Lisa Lopes or Paul Walker’ with a side by side pictures of the two crash sites.
I pray for his family and for his soul. I hope whatever demons or flaws or whatever he was dealing with he is at peace. From the looks of the work he did he believed more in giving back than taking. I appreciate that. I especially appreciate his work in developing countries I wish more people genuinely cared about the suffering of others.
What happened these past few weeks is so hard for me (and of course to all of us Filipinos). I just came from the evacuation center to fetch my remaining relatives in the area where the typhoon struck. Some friends and relatives died and some are still missing. And what added to my pain when I got home is the news that Paul Walker died during a charity event for my country. I can’t believe it I have to call my friend who texted me about it just to confirm if its true. And then its all over the news. I have much admiration and love for him since I was in highschool until now that I have my own family. You really have to be a fan to know his other activities such as his passion and his charities. I only followed a handful of celebrities and he’s one that is consistently nice and down-to-earth. I saw some pictures of his team ROWW helping out after another storm (2011’s Storm Washi) struck the Southern part of our country. I didn’t even know they were here.
When FF6 cast was here except him, I was so sad but hoping they will come back and this time with Paul. So apparently it won’t happen. I am so heartbroken I didn’t even cry even after watching all the news and tributes about him until last night when I watched his message for the Philippines and what they are doing to help us out. Thank you Paul. Though I know you didn’t want it to happen but you really broke my heart big time. I miss you but I guess you’re now having a great time with my Dad and some loved ones up there in heaven 🙂
When I read what his charity does I was so impressed, how thought out it is with implementing in so many areas, getting medical help on the ground, how best to help in the areas they are sending people, to and what they need. A far cry from most of these sham celebrity charities that just use it as a shell and have a lot of people on the payroll. A lot of time and effort was put into his charity in how to be most effective at disaster scenes and he had a lot of great people donating time with medical skills and such.
I don’t really care about how fast he was driving or the age of his girlfriend. I just feel so bad for his daughter. Fifteen is a rough age to start with…and then to lose your dad (and then have the world speculate over it). I truly hope she has the support she needs.
He was not driving. The world does not need to speculate too hard. Plain physics explains his death. Why the driver, Roger Rodas, lost control is the question. Was it due to speeding, mishandling, inexperience, or a combination of those factors? The way the car was mangled after hitting several trees and a large lamp post, I speculate at least mishandling. This is the kind of vehicle that will make you pay for mishandling it.
Yes, it’s sad and awful for Walker’s teenage daughter. I hope that through her grief, she will know that her father was in NO WAY accountable for his own demise, neither by the action of getting in the car, nor his judgement. He got in the car of a trusted friend who was a known race car driver and enthusiast. Things can happen and go wrong and even the most skillful drivers can’t right a bad situation. If excess speed or mishandling was involved, I would guess a wrongful death lawsuit is justifiable. It may be premature and cold to think on those lines since both families are in shock and hurting, and may do so for a lifetime, but for Walker’s family, the issue of ultimate accountability cannot be ignored.
If it was my daughter, I wouldnt allow it. It is wrong. Just my opinion. I mean I wonder how he would have felt if his daughter brought a 33 year old boyfriend home? Im genuinly asking opinions? Not being snarky.
I wouldn’t either, and I don’t get it. But It’s a moot point. It doesn’t really matter to me trying to dissect it as it’s now seven years later and they were together. If it were now and she is 16 and I knew the specifics I would address it. Only one site ever reported she was 16 when they first started dating, which came out on a site when she was 19 and it was falsely reported they were engaged. Other sites have always cut and pasted from that site the information. I’m sure it’s true, but like I said, she’s 23. They had a long-term relationship, She’s in college. Her family loved him. He’s passed away. I don’t see the point.
I didn’t realize he had a child. How awful for her.
It was an unfortunate case. With a law enforcement background, law degree, hydraulics background, former pilot and experience with racing I embrace your comments with a sound mind to education.
Power Steering Fluid: Do not understand the power of power steering within a vehicle; it is a hydraulic component, much like hydraulic function/failure to an aircraft, which are fairly common.
On Board Computer: These high end vehicles are equipped with on board computers which will hopefully give some evidence to the last critical moments leading up to the crash.
Tire Mark Skids: This vehicle is equipped with anti-lock brakes which may leave skid marks but at a lower mark than unequipped anti-lock vehicles.
Police Reconstruction: The most professional account of what happened in the final moments.
Personal Responsibility: Any person about to drive their vehicle is required to inspect and the vehicle prior to driving (walk-around). This applies to any commercial or personal vehicle.
Assumption of Alcohol: I am assuming no alcohol was involved. If so it complicates the situation and will lead to expensive law suits.
Race Car Drivers: From the account of James Dean, there are risks you can take on a race track that he would not take on a public road. If you accept the risks of racing on the street, you accept the consequences.
Posted Speed Limit: To my knowledge it is 72 km/hr. I am no expert, but based on the pictures I witnessed, they were travelling at a much greater rate of speed.
Paul Walkers Personal Life: I will do my research.
@Johnny — You bring up relevant, hard objective factors when thinking about this tragic accident. Every action has a consequence. Racing, excessive speed or vehicle malfunction on non-track environments have logical consequences. We may not want to think about it, but these men are race car drivers and live on the edge. They are fathers, husbands, sons and community leaders as well, but as road daredevils, they court death in their professional lives. They know the risks every time they step into a super-engine car. This doesn’t make it any less tragic.
Wait, the girlfriend is 23 and they’ve been dating for 7 years? That means she was 16 when they started dating. And he since he was 40 at time of death, that means he was 33 when he started dating a 16 year old. That is nasty.
Yes, the situation is tragic. I know of three police officers killed last march on duty while driving their police vehicles.
“when it’s your time, it’s your time”.
I am grateful of his charity and humanitatarian work.
Gorgeous man! RIP
I hope others will realize that this car has been called by experts as the “most dangerous car on the road”. Perhaps others may live because of this awful tragedy. Paul Walker seemed like a generous, caring man. Bless his family, friends, fans and especially his daughter. http://www.newser.com/story/178538/paul-walker-died-in-most-dangerous-car-on-the-road.html
This whole thing hits home for me. I lost a close friend in high school to a speed related car accident. He was driving the fancy sports car his parents [two tremendously good people] bought him for his sweet 16. I was with him just 30 mins before the crash and had a strange panic attack about his safety after he left, freaking out that I hadn’t told him to “be careful”…it was weird. His name was Bert Budde Jr., RIP.
Also, I took a piece of the crash wreckage as a memento and I still have it all these years [10] later. This was before social media, I can’t say whether or not I may have posted a photo of it on my feed as a way of venting, probably not because I’d be afraid even having taken the wreckage would look disrespectful or insensitive. I’m not saying Tyrese was or wasn’t trying to get attention, but I could see a person doing what he did without it being about attention.