What happened to the “Fast & Furious” star and how he is remembered today

Paul Walker died in 2013 at the age of 40

Paul Walker is still remembered eleven years after his death, especially among Fast and furious fans.

In addition to his acting in various films and shows, Walker was also known for his charitable services. On November 30, 2013, he was leaving an event for the charity he founded, Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), when he was killed in a car accident. Walker was 40 years old.

Now his memory lives on through the screen, as does that of his daughter Meadow Walker. In 2015, she founded The Paul Walker Foundation, of which she remains chairman. At various points in her personal life, Meadow pays tribute to her late father, whom she calls her “guardian angel.”

In a November 2023 interview with PEOPLE, Walker’s brother, Cody Walker, shared that the actor had an impact on those around him and wished Walker could see it for himself all these years later.

“I would tell him that his legacy lives on,” Cody said. “I would like to tell him that the organization he founded, ROWW, is still alive and well and still helping people all over the world.”

To mark 11 years since the actor’s death, here’s a look at what happened the day Paul Walker died and the legacy he left behind.

How did Paul Walker die?

Paul Walker died as a passenger in a single-car collision. The actor drove the red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT of his friend Roger Rodas.

The pair originally met at a California Race Club and Rodas later became part of a motorcycle racing team with Walker, according to CNN. On the day of their deaths, the friends were leaving a ROWW charity event to raise money for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

According to the coroner’s report, Walker’s death was caused by the combined effects of “traumatic and thermal” injuries. It stated that “for an unknown reason the driver lost control of the vehicle”, causing it to crash into the sidewalk, trees and a lamp post.

“The force of these collisions caused the vehicle to turn 180 degrees and continue traveling eastbound,” the report said.

The passenger side of the car struck trees and the vehicle caught fire. The report found no evidence of drug or alcohol use at the time.

When did Paul Walker die?

Walker died on November 30, 2013 at approximately 3:30 PM

Later that day, Walker’s official Facebook page and X account (formerly Twitter) confirmed his death.

“It is with heavy hearts that we have to confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event,” the statement said.

Where did Paul Walker die?

Walker was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Valencia, a neighborhood in Santa Clarita, California, near the Rye Canyon Loop.

That day, he and Rodas attended an event for Walker’s charity, ROWW, which they left before the accident. Rodas was driving his red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, which crashed into a concrete lamppost and two trees when he lost control.

What were Paul Walker’s last words?

A friend of Walker’s, Jim Torp, recalled the last words he exchanged with the actor before his death.

Speaking to ABC News, he said he was at the charity event with Walker and Rodas. “‘Hey, I’ll be back in five minutes.’ Those are the last words I heard,” Torp told the newspaper.

How did the public react to Paul Walker’s death?

Following Walker’s death, there was an outpouring of support from the entertainment community and beyond.

Walkers Fast and furious costar, Vin Diesel – who is also Meadow’s godfather – spoke at the crash site two days after the collision. Using the public address system in a sheriff’s car, he addressed a gathered crowd.

“If he could see with his own eyes that you all showed up to show my brother love during this difficult time, and his family could see you all show the love you showed Paul, it will stay with me forever. ” he said.

In a moving tribute, rapper and colleague Fast and furious cast member Ludacris wrote: “Your humble spirit was felt from the beginning, wherever you blessed your presence, you always left a mark, we were like brothers and our birthdays are just one day apart, now you will hold a place forever in all our hearts @paulwalker legacy will live on forever RIP”

There was also an outpouring of messages online, with several celebrities sending their condolences to the family. On X, Michael B. Jordan, Ellen DeGeneres, Gisele Bündchen and more mourned the actor.

In 2015, Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth released ‘See You Again’, commissioned as a tribute to Walker for the soundtrack of Furious 7which Walker was filming when he died.

It became Khalifa’s most popular single to date and Puth’s second most popular, spending 12 non-consecutive weeks at the top of the US. Billboard Hot 100 and received three Grammy nominations.

What did Meadow Walker say about her father’s death?

Walker’s daughter Meadow continues to send birthday and Father’s Day wishes to her father on social media.

“Happy birthday to my best friend. I love you and miss you so much every day,” she captioned a throwback photo of them in September 2024. “Thank you for everything. My eternal guardian angel.”

The year before, in November 2023, on the 10th anniversary of his death, Meadow posted a video on Instagram with the message: “10 years without you… I love you forever.”

In her daily life, she believes that her father is sending her signals. “Four and seven are my father’s favorite numbers,” she said E! News in May 2023. “I swear when I doubt something… I start seeing fours and sevens everywhere. So I always know it’s him.”

The same year, the late actor’s brother Cody told PEOPLE that Walker “loved being a dad.”

Meadow is the founder and CEO of The Paul Walker Foundation, which “hopes to leave people better educated and equipped to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” according to its website.

What is Paul Walker’s legacy?

Today, Walker is remembered every year on the anniversary of his death on November 30, as well as throughout the year, thanks to his critically acclaimed films and charitable legacy.

Walker’s younger brother, Cody, continues to uphold his older brother’s memory through ROWW, the charity Walker founded after the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

He also has an important lesson that Walker taught him: always be kind.

“Paul didn’t care if you were the bellhop, the busboy, the waiter, a big CEO or some other famous person. He treated everyone the same,” Cody told PEOPLE in 2023.

Walker’s family and costars have also remained close over the years. In 2021, Meadow married Louis Thornton-Allan in a beach ceremony in the Dominican Republic (although the couple have since split). Diesel and Jordana Brewster, another one Fast and furious costar, were present. In a video Meadow shared afterwards, Diesel was seen walking her down the aisle.