Porsche is not responsible for the car crash that killed actor Paul Walker three years ago, a US judge has ruled.
Walker’s family had filed a suit claiming a defective car was the cause of death of the Fast And Furious star, who was the passenger in a Porsche Carrera GT when it it spun out of control in Santa Clarita, California, in November 2013.
The court heard how the Porsche had been driven by Walker’s friend, Roger Rodas, whose widow, Kristine, also brought a separate suit before district court judge Philip S. Gutierrez.
The car was ruled to have not malfunctioned. While Rodas’ legal team attempted to argue that a “properly functioning crash cage” could have saved Rodas’ and Walker’s lives, the defendants argued the injuries that later caused Walker’s death were caused by a “fatal collision” between the passengers, and not by faulty parts.
Another claim – “failure of the suspension component” – was also ruled to not be Porsche’s responsibility. Post-trial, Judge Gutierrez wrote the following about the strength of the claim:
“The plaintiff has provided no competent evidence that Rodas’ death occurred as a result of any wrongdoing on the part of defendant.”
Investigators say the vehicle may have been travelling at up to 150kph (94mph) when it crashed.
