Authorities are investigating whether Paul Walker’s car crash happened as the actor was involved in a street race.
Police are said to be looking for witnesses and possible video evidence that another car was involved in a street race with the Fast & Furious actor’s car.
The crash that killed Paul Walker may have had a lot more parallels to his film franchise than initially believed.
According to TMZ, authorities are investigating whether Paul Walker, 40, and his friend Roger Rodas – the former racecar driver behind the wheel of the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT when it crashed – were in the middle of a high speed competition with another car on Saturday afternoon.
It was suspected that speed contributed to the cause of the fiery crash, but a law enforcement source told TMZ that investigators received a tip about a possible race.
The Santa Clarita, California, street where the accident occurred is apparently known to be a popular spot for the law-breaking hobby, the website reported.
There were also reports that the Porsche may have malfunctioned shortly before the crash. Sources connected to Paul and Roger Rodas’ high-end car shop, Always Evolving, told TMZ that there could have been a fluid leak in the vehicle.
There was a “noticeable absence of skid marks” and no visible “swerving” leading up to the crash site, Always Evolving source told the website, suggesting Roger Rodas did not lose control of the car.
The fire also reportedly spread from “the front of the car,” the source said, apparently reinforcing the theory of a fluid leak.
Paul Walker and Roger Rodas died at the scene, police confirmed, and were reportedly burned “badly” after the car exploded into flames.
An autopsy on Paul Walker’s body has been delayed, a rep for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said, until dental records for both men are obtained to identify the “unidentifiable” bodies.
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