The German sports car manufacturer Porsche has issued a statement denying responsibility for the death of Fast & Furious star Paul Walker, who died in a high-speed crash in November 2013.
Porsche released its statement to the media in response to a wrongful-death lawsuit filed on September 28 by the actor’s daughter Meadow Walker in Los Angeles.
“As we have said before, we are very sad whenever anyone is hurt in a Porsche vehicle, but we believe the authorities’ reports in this case clearly establish that this tragic crash resulted from reckless driving and excessive speed,” the manufacturer said. Walker died at the age of 40 when his limited-edition 2005 Porsche Carrera GT crashed and burst into flames in Valencia, Santa Clarita, on November 30 2013. Walker’s friend Roger Rodas, who was driving, lost of control of the vehicle, which careered into trees and a concrete lamppost, killing both men. Walker had been partway through the filming of Fast & Furious 7, which was delayed and eventually completed using the actor’s brothers, Caleb and Cody, as body doubles.
Meadow Walker claims in her suit that Porsche knew the car model had a “history of instability and control issues”.
It is understood she is also questioning police reports that suggest the Carrera GT was travelling at around 144km/h when the accident happened, arguing that the top speed reached by the vehicle was in fact just 114km/h. Investigators with the LA county sheriff’s department and California highway patrol concluded in March 2014 that unsafe speed, not mechanical problems, caused the accident. However, the verdict was issued, according to the Los Angeles Times, via post-crash calculations made after consulting technicians from Porsche.
Fast & Furious 7, the latest episode in the hugely popular street-racing action saga, went on to earn more than $1.5 billion (Dh5.5 billion) at the global box office. Star Vin Diesel revealed this week that three further films, in the form of a trilogy, will bring the series to a close.
