Paul Walker has died at the age of 40 after he was involved in a single-car accident and explosion in Santa Clarita, Calif., Saturday afternoon, the actor's rep confirmed to TMZ.
The actor, best known for his leading role in "The Fast and the Furious" and its sequels, was reportedly in a Porsche with another person when the unidentified driver lost control and slammed the vehicle into a tree. The car burst into flames at the scene. Both were killed at the time.
"Sources close to Paul tell us he was in Santa Clarita for a car show to support the Philippines typhoon relief effort, and had been taking friends out for rides in his new Porsche GT," reports TMZ. "The accident happened during one of those test spins."
“At the conclusion of the accident the vehicle struck a light standard and the whole car was burned,” a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman told the Santa Clarita Valley Signal.
The Santa Clarita Valley Signal was also reporting on the incident:
Spectators gathered at the scene, and several said the driver was the star of “The Fast and the Furious” series of films. One witness at the scene said he tried to put the fire out and recognized Walker inside the vehicle.
Walker is said to have business ties to Always Evolving Performance Motors, located down Constellation from the scene of the crash. Always Evolving hosted an open house and car meet on Saturday.
The driver of the car has since been identified as Roger Rodas, former racer and CEO of Always Evolving, the actor's performance and racing company.
Walker's official Twitter account confirmed the news:
It's with a heavy heart that we must confirm Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident...MORE: http://t.co/9hDuJMH99M - #TeamPW
— Paul Walker (@RealPaulWalker) December 1, 2013From the full Facebook post:
It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide. He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives. We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news. Thank you for keeping his family and friends in your prayers during this very difficult time. We will do our best to keep you apprised on where to send condolences. - #TeamPW
Universal Studios soon after released the following statement.
“All of us at Universal are heartbroken. Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the FAST AND FURIOUS films, and to countless fans. We send our deepest and most sincere condolences to Paul’s family.”
Walker and the cast of "The Fast and Furious" were in the middle of filming the seventh movie of the series.
Filming began in late September and was scheduled for a July 2014 release.
While promoting his latest film, "Hours," earlier this month, Walker revealed that his 15-year-old daughter, Meadow, moved to live with him last year after living with her mother in Hawaii.
Here's a photo taken of Walker before getting into the vehicle.
Last photo of Paul Walker pic.twitter.com/830aUZBfAe
— Sampah Remaja (@SampahRemajaKL) December 1, 2013SEE ALSO: Hollywood mourns the loss of Paul Walker