Walker killed by impact and fire

A post-mortem shows Fast & Furious star Paul Walker was killed in a car crash by the combined effects of the impact and subsequent fire.

Walker, a passenger in the car driven by his friend and financial adviser Roger Rodas, died on Saturday when the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT smashed into a lamp post and tree then exploded in flames.

The Los Angeles County coroner’s office released the post-mortem results today. The report also says Rodas was killed by the impact.

Walker starred in all but one of the six Fast & Furious blockbuster films that glorified fast cars and dangerous driving.

Sheriff’s investigators are still trying to determine exactly what caused Rodas to career out of control. They have said speed was a factor.

Universal Pictures announced it has shut down production on ``Fast & Furious 7'' indefinitely following the death of Walker.

The studio said the film will shut down “for a period of time so we can assess all options available to move forward with the franchise”.

The seventh installment of the street racing series had begun shooting in September. While much of “Fast & Furious 7” has been filmed, it’s far from complete.

When Walker died in he crash the film was on break for the Thanksgiving holiday. Shooting had been planned to resume on Monday in Atlanta, but production was put on hold following Walker’s death.

Universal had been trying to fast-track “Fast & Furious 7” for a July 11 release, a date that’s likely to now be postponed. Universal hasn’t yet announced any release date change.

“Right now, all of us at Universal are dedicated to providing support to Paul’s immediate family and our extended ’Fast & Furious’ family of cast, crew and filmmakers,” the studio said in a statement.