The L.A. County Sheriff's Department has released its findings in the investigation into the cause of the violent, fiery crash that took actor Paul Walker's life and that of his friend, racing driver Roger Rodas. The conclusion? Pretty much what everyone expected: the Porsche Carrera GT the pair were riding in simply was traveling too fast for the road it was on. The posted speed limit on Hercules St. in Santa Clarita, California, the site of the accident, is 45 mph. Rodas, who was driving, had the Carrera GT at between 80 and 93 mph just before striking a roadside light pole and several trees.
What isn't made clear in the L.A. County and California Highway Patrol reports on the accident is a cause. While speed certainly was a factor in mangling the Carrera GT and sparking a post-crash fire, no reason is given for why the car went off the road in the first place. The L.A. County report's analysis of the Porsche's skid marks could be interpreted as evidence Rodas was attempting to turn right into a driveway just before the accident site, although this possibility isn't called out in either the county's or Highway Patrol's reports. It's equally possible the skids indicate a loss of control on corner exit.
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It is noted, however, that the Carrera GT's two identifiable tires—the other two were consumed by fire—were more than nine years old, and appeared to be the original Michelin Pilot Sport units the car was delivered with back in 2005. Even though when Roger Rodas purchased the Porsche in 2013 it had just over 3300 miles, he was the car's sixth owner. Porsche advises against Carrera GTs using tires more than four years old for safety reasons, regardless of tread depth. (One of the tires was down to 6/32 inch of tread depth in one place, but the rest was 7–8/32 inch, as was the other tire; brand new, the tires have just 9/32-inch tread depth.)
Either way, the car ultimately broke nearly in two before bursting into flames. Porsche has released a statement reiterating its regret that Walker and Rodas died in one of its cars, but adds that, per the Sheriff's findings, the GT suffered no mechanical failures that led to the accident.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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