Paul Walker, of "The Fast and the Furious" movie franchise, was a passenger in a single-car crash Saturday in Santa Clarita that killed two people, including Walker.

Deputies with the Traffic Unit of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station responded to the collision in the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop Road at approximately 3:30 p.m.

The vehicle, a red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, was traveling eastbound, just west of Constellation Road in the industrial park when the driver lost control, apparently at a high rate of speed, said Sgt. Brian Allen of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.

The Porsche struck a light pole and tree and burst into flames.

Speed was possibly a factor in the crash, said Allen, who was first on the scene. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

"We just know that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed," Allen said. "Between the skid marks and the damage to the vehicle, it appears as though the vehicle was traveling at a very significant rate of speed."

A man who worked for one of two Valencia-based companies owned by the movie star said Walker was in the car with Roger Rodas, CEO of Always Evolving, a performance shop for high-end vehicles.

The employee asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to give a statement.

Walker, who was born in Glendale 40 years ago, was in the Santa Clarita Valley to promote a charity giveaway for his nonprofit, Reach Out Worldwide.

"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," read a statement on his Facebook page. "He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives."

The Porsche was fully engulfed when Allen arrived on scene. There were individuals who were trying to put out the flames with hand-held fire extinguishers, but the fire was too intense, Allen said.

"With a fire like that, that's just not going to happen," Allen said. "The heat is just too much."

Both occupants were declared dead at the scene by emergency personnel with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Officials were not confirming reports of the driver's or passenger's identity Saturday, instead referring inquiries to the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau and the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.

Walker owns two businesses in Valencia, Always Evolving and Hybrid Haven.

The crash took place near the offices for the two businesses.

"All that we know is that there were two fatalities," said Deputy Alvarez of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau. "The investigation is being handled by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station's traffic detail."

Fans Flock to 'Fast & Furious' Star's Final Scene
SCVNews.com & KHTS | Sunday, December 1, 2013

Fans started to leave flowers at the crash scene Saturday evening. Click image for more photos by Austin Dave/SCVTV.

Fans continued to arrive Sunday at the scene of a crash in the Valenica Industrial Center that claimed the life of actor Paul Walker of the "Fast & Furious" movies.

Walker, 40, was the passenger in a red Porsche whose owner and driver, unofficially identified as high-performance auto business owner Roger Rodas, 38, reportedly rounded a curve too fast. The car struck a light pole and tree and burst into flames. Both men's bodies were burned beyond recognition, a coroner's official said.

"We smelled the smoke and then we didn't pay much attention to it because of the fact that this street on Friday and Saturday nights, a lot of the guys come up here with their fast cars and drift around this corner here," said Ruben Soto, who said he was nearby at the time of the crash.

Mourners congregated at the scene Saturday as word of the 3:30 p.m. crash began to circulate on the Internet. They continued to arrive Sunday, leaving behind flowers, personal messages and "Fast & Furious" DVDs and memorabilia.

Universal Studios released a statement Saturday evening mourning the loss of Walker.

"All of us at Universal are heartbroken," the statement said. "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."

Walker's "Fast & Furious" co-star, Vin Diesel, shared a photo of the two on Instagram, writing, "Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace."

Fans continued to share their memories Sunday. Click image for more photos by Jessica Boyer/KHTS.

Rapper Ludacris, who starred in several "Fast & Furious" movies, posted a photo of the cast appearing to give thanks before a meal and posted his own thoughts. "Your humble spirit was felt from the start," he wrote. "Wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark, we were like brothers & our birthdays are only 1 day apart, now You will forever hold a place in all of our hearts @paulwalker legacy will live on forever. R.I.P."

Co-star Tyrese Gibson shared a photo of the two on Instagram and included his own heartfelt thoughts. "My heart is hurting so bad no one can make me believe this is real Father God I pray that you send clarity over this cause I just don't understand. My heart hurts it's broken no one can convince me that this is real.... Prayer warriors please pray real hard for his only child, his daughter and family.."

Walker is survived by his daughter, Meadow Rain Walker, who just turned 15.

A post on Walker's Facebook page said the collision occurred after the actor attended a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide and that he was a passenger in a friend's car at the time.

"We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news," the post added.

Bill Townsend, CEO and founder of PacAirVentures, a developer of entertainment centers, posted a photo of himself taken with Walker just two hours before the accident.

"He was surrounded by friends, talking about cars, seeing hundreds of gifts brought for kids to give out by charity," Townsend wrote on Walker's Facebook page. "The news is terribly sad. The world lost an angel and Heaven gained one. I'm going to commit to helping ensure (that) Paul's charity lives on and that his love of cars and people, especially children, will be remembered forever."

Walker co-founded Reach Out Worldwide in 2010 to aid those affected by the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti and was working to help victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines.

"I'm a doer, and whether it was the tsunami in Sri Lanka or the earthquake in Indonesia, I was always saying, I should be there; I should be helping out," Walker wrote on the organization's site. "We're only on the Earth for a short period of time. I want to take my success and parlay it into something bigger and better. As a father, my hope and goal is to help create a sustainable organization that will endure for the benefit of future generations. You put goodwill out there, it's amazing what can be accomplished."

"If speed one day kills me, don't be sad because I was smiling," Walker once said in an interview.

Walker Crash: Investigators Refute Idea of Racing 2nd Car
Story by Perry Smith | KHTS AM-1220 | Monday, December 2, 2013

Late actor's nonprofit organization provides on-the-ground disaster relief

Paul Walker, star of the "Fast & Furious" movie franchise, was in Santa Clarita to help out with a charity effort when he was killed in a single-car crash Saturday, according to the operations manager of Walker's nonprofit organization Reach Out WorldWide.

"(Paul Walker) was the founder, he was a responder, he was a main part of it - 100 percent," said JD Dorfman, operations manager for ROWW. "He's not someone who just lent his name to the organization."

Walker and Roger Rodas, CEO of Always Evolving, a performance sports car company based in Santa Clarita, were killed in a single-vehicle crash Saturday in Valencia.

"It was actually (Walker) and Always Evolving performance cars had gotten together and they were doing a toy drive and the beneficiary was going to be Reach Out WorldWide," Dorfman said.

Throughout the weekend, as word of Saturday's crash spread, hundreds came to Valencia to mourn Paul Walker's death at the Santa Clarita industrial park.

Dorfman described Reach Out WorldWide as a network of professionals who all have first-responders skills they use in emergency situations.

"What we do is we go into areas immediately after the disaster and augment local resources," Dorfman said, whether that's helping to clear roads giving medical attention to victims.

No witness statements to corroborate rumors of racing

The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT prior to the crash. Photos posted by Always Evolving.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station deputies confirmed a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT traveling at a very high rate of speed crashed into a tree and burst into flames off Rye Canyon Loop Road on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

A more specific description of the location where the collision occurred is Hercules Street at Kelly Johnson Parkway, which is very near the business park at the 28300 block of Rye Canyon Loop.

Sheriff's Station Detective Jeff Maag, who's investigating the crash, said all avenues were being explored as far as factors in the crash.

"We think speed is the cause, but we're not sure of anything else," said Maag, adding that no details of his investigation were being released at this time.

Photos of a Porsche Carrera GT was posted on Always Evolving's Facebook page.

A statement by Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station officials Monday refuted the reports that another vehicle was involved.

"Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station traffic investigators are continuing to document the investigation and have received eyewitness statements that the car involved was traveling alone at a high rate of speed," the statement read. "No eyewitness has contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to say there was a second vehicle. The posted speed limit in the area of the collision is 45 mph."

Sgt. Brian Allen of the Sheriff's Station, who was a first-responder to the scene, said Saturday officials are treating it as a single-car crash.

"We're just hitting the ground running this morning, so we're following every lead that we get to either prove or disprove (information)," Maag said.

Lt. Larry Dietz said the two bodies of the crash victims were "unidentifiable," and that dental or skeletal records would likely be used for the official confirmation, which could take weeks.

Walker's publicist confirmed the actor was in the car, and an associate of Rodas' confirmed the CEO was the driver.

Always Evolving and Hybrid Haven, two companies Walker had ties two, were headquartered within a block of the crash site.