Paul Walker autopsy: Porsche traveling 100 mph, nearly split in half
An autopsy report released Friday revealed that “Fast & Furious” star Paul Walker, who died in a high-speed Porsche crash Nov. 30, was so badly burned that he couldn’t be visually identified.
“Fast and Furious” actor Paul Walker and his friend were traveling at more than 100 mph when the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT in which they were riding crashed, killing them both, according to a Los Angeles County coroner’s report released Friday.
The limited-production sports car was in the No. 1 lane on Hercules Street in Santa Clarita on Nov. 30 when Walker’s friend, Roger Rodas, lost control of the vehicle, officials said.
The autopsy report is the first time authorities have estimated speeds for the Porsche or detailed any of vehicle’s movements.
The vehicle was eastbound when skid marks show it went out of control, spun around, hit the southern sidewalk and smashed the driver’s side of the car into a tree and light post, according to the coroner’s report.
“The force of those collisions caused the vehicle to spin 180 degrees ... the passenger side of the vehicle then struck a tree and the vehicle burst into flames,” the report stated.
Rodas and Walker both quickly succumbed to multiple traumatic injuries and flames, the report said. Walker suffered multiple fractures to his arms, face and ribs and was unrecognizable because of the fire, it said. Rodas suffered similar injuries and fractured his skull.
The force of the crash was so severe it almost split the vehicle in half, according to the report.
Both Rodas’ and Walker’s bodies were found braced for impact in a “pugilistic” stance, the report said.
The limited-production, 2005 Porsche Carrera GT has a history of being difficult to control.
The sports car is capable of reaching 100 mph in less than seven seconds. It was built without the stability management system with which most Porsche models are equipped.
Porsche engineers are scheduled to visit Los Angeles this month to help detectives gather data from the Carrera GT. L.A. County Sheriff’s Capt. Michael Parker said investigators will meet with the engineers to analyze the car’s data-retrieval system.
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richard.winton@latimes.com
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