Paul Walker died of traumatic, thermal injuries, says LA coroner

Los Angeles: Actor Paul Walker, best known for his roles in the Fast & Furious action films, died from “combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries” in a car accident, the Los Angeles County coroner said on Wednesday. Walker, 40, was a passenger in a fiery one-car crash on Saturday in Santa Clarita, California, about 30 miles (50 km) northwest of Los Angeles. The driver of the Porsche Carrera GT, Roger Rodas, died of multiple traumatic injuries, the coroner said. As a result of Walker’s death, Universal Pictures has put filming “Fast & Furious 7” on hold for an unspecified period. The film was slated to be released on July 11, 2014. [caption id=“attachment_1267411” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Photos and messages are seen at a roadside memorial at the site of the auto crash that took the life of actor Paul Walker, in the small community of Valencia, Calif., Monday, Dec. 2, 2013. AP[/caption] “At this time we feel it is our responsibility to shut down production on ‘Fast & Furious 7’ for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise,” Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp, said in a statement. The coroner ruled that both deaths were accidents and said that the injuries occurred when the car struck a fixed object. Surveillance video shows the red Porsche crashing into a utility pole and bursting into flames about a minute later, according to footage shown on CNN. Toxicology reports on the bodies will be completed in six to eight weeks, the coroner’s office said. Walker became a symbol of street-racing and car culture in his roles in the “Fast & Furious” series, which has grossed more than $2 billion at the global box office since its debut in 2001. Reuters