It was a car accident that shocked the entire world and left an irreplaceable void in Hollywood. Walker and Rodas were killed in an accident on November 30, 2013. Their 2005 Porsche Carrera GT unexpectedly crashed into a light pole and caught fire
Roger Rodas, the man who died along with Paul Walker, is often overlooked due to Walker’s popularity. However, on that sad day, Rodas, a close friend of Walker’s, was behind the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT’s wheel. The accident took place on Hercules Drive in Valencia.
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Rodas was driving the red Porsche Carrera GT at 100+ mph speeds. Unfortunately, he lost control of the vehicle for unknown reasons. The vehicle spun around and hit the curb, and the driver’s side struck a tree and a light post. The impact of the collision spun the vehicle around again and resulted in the car’s passenger side striking the tree. The vehicle burst into flames after the crash.
Rodas passed away due to multiple traumatic injuries, whereas Walker succumbed to the combined effects of multiple traumatic injuries in addition to burns. Both of their bodies were severely burned, rendering them unrecognizable.
When the collision occurred, the two had just left an event for their charitable organization- Reach Out Worldwide.
Who was Roger Rodas?
Rodas was a beloved racing enthusiast, a philanthropist, and a financial planner, an important figure in the world of finance. Rodas, a native of El Salvador., was the managing director of wealth management for Bank of America Merrill Lynch. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, Barron’s magazine included Rodas on its list of the top 1,000 financial advisers in the United States.
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Always Evolving was a racing shop in Los Angeles, and Rodas was the business owner. He was also the captain of the company’s racing team. According to the website for the team, Walker is a member of the driving crew for the team. He was married and had two children.
Rodas was also a philanthropist. Rodas ran his charity organization to provide financial support to widows and orphans in El Salvador. He worked specifically with Reach Out Worldwide and The Asomugha Foundation, Kerry Washington’s husband Nnamdi Asomugha’s foundation.
How did Roger Rodas and Paul Walker meet?
Rodas and Walker first became acquainted in a California racing club. Rodas was driving a Porsche that Walker had owned at one point in the past. Soon, the two were competing against one another side by side. At one point, they joined forces with two professional drivers to take part in a pro-am endurance race that lasted for 25 hours and took place in Thunder Hill, California. While they turned into close friends. He was also Walker’s financial advisor.
Roger Rodas and Paul Walker did philanthropic work together. Rodas and Walker established Reach Out Worldwide, a group of first responders who offer assistance in the aftermath of natural disasters worldwide. The team uses their equipment and flies into the damaged areas to provide immediate assistance as soon as possible. Even to this very day, it is still in operation.
What are lawsuits involved in the aftermath of the accident?
In December 2014, Walker’s father filed a wrongful death claim against Rodas’ estate. He seeks that the estate returns his son’s proportionate share of the revenue generated by a group of automobiles that Walker and Rodas owned jointly.
Walker’s daughter lodged a claim for compensation for wrongful death against Porsche in September 2015, claiming that the Porsche Carrera GT had numerous design defects, including a history of instability, and that the placement of its seat belts could cause harm upon impact. Porsche however has denied any wrongdoing. They have placed the blame on Walker, saying that the dangers, risks, and perils were open and obvious to him and that he was aware of them. They also said that he chose to conduct himself in a manner that exposed him to such dangers, risks, and perils, thereby assuming all of the risks that are associated with using the vehicle.
Walker’s father and daughter both reached separate out-of-court settlements with Porsche.
In April of 2016, the US Transportation Department of the United States announced that in a separate case brought by Rodas’ widow Kristine, the Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez of the District Court of the United States ruled in favor of Porsche. Roger Rodas’ widow claimed that the defects in the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT design were responsible for the fatal car wreck. Gutierrez wrote in his decision that he would side with Porsche because the plaintiff had not presented any credible evidence suggesting that Rodas’ death was the result of any wrongdoing on the defendant’s part.
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