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The Eastern Echo Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 | Print Archive
The Eastern Echo

Actor dies tragically, students react

A man was arrested on Saturday Nov. 5, for allegedly stealing parts from a car that crashed last week, killing actor Paul Walker.

A search warrant was served on suspect Jameson Witty, 18, and police were able to find some of the missing car parts at his home in Canyon County, as reported by the LA Times.

On Saturday, Nov. 30, “The Fast and the Furious” actor Walker, 40, died in a car crash after the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that he was a passenger in ran into a tree and a concrete pole, which then burst into flames in Valencia, Calif.

The driver of the car was Walker’s financial advisor and good friend, Roger Rodas, 38, who also died. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has reported that speed did play a role in the crash.

“My heart shattered when I found out that one of my all time favorite actors died,” EMU freshman Krystal-Ann Bourne said. “Paul Walker is gone but never forgotten.”

The crash site has since been overflowing with items that fans have left in their memory.

According to TMZ, offerings like candles, flowers and pictures have created a road hazard at the site of the crash. As a result, Santa Clarita city officials have been moving the memorabilia from the street to the sidewalk.

Fans and visitors will now be issued tickets as well if they park on the street near the scene of the crash.

Walker and Rodas were leaving a charity event dedicated to raising money for the victims of the typhoon that devastated the Philippines last month. The event was hosted by Walker’s charity,
Reach Out WorldWide.

“This has probably been the worst celebrity death to me that I’ve been alive for,” EMU student Lauren Shufeldt said. “Heaven has received a beautiful angel way too soon.”

Walker’s “The Fast and the Furious” co-star Tyrese Gibson broke down in tears at the crash site on Saturday.

Many other co-stars from the “The Fast and the Furious” franchise and co-stars from Walker’s other projects have been expressing great sympathy and condolences through social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram.

Walker gained the majority of his fame from starring in all of the “The Fast and the Furious” films with the exception of the third one, “Tokyo Drift.”

The seventh movie in the franchise was scheduled to hit theaters this coming July.

Although they had completed most of the filming for the next “The Fast and the Furious” before
Walker’s death, the film is still not finished. Universal Pictures has not yet released information on what they plan to do with the movie as a result of Walker’s death. Their last scheduled shooting for
Monday was cancelled.

Walker was able to complete two other movies before his untimely death. He will star in “Brick Mansions,” scheduled to release next year, and also “Hours,” which is planned to release on Dec. 13.

“It breaks my heart every time I hear about it,” Shufeldt said. “He will be missed, not only by me, but by billions of people.”

According to CNN, Walker was planning to take some time off from acting in order to spend more time with his 15-year-old daughter, Meadow.

A quote attributed to Paul Walker that his fans have been posting in reaction to this tragic event states, “If one day the speed kills me, do not cry because I was smiling.”