BREAKING: Fast & Furious actor Paul Walker dies in tragic car accident

Tossing a curve ball from left field into everyone’s Thanksgiving weekend was the tragic death of the Fast & Furious star, Paul Walker. He was only 40 years old.

Walker was reportedly on his way from a charity designed to raise relief funds for those recently devastated by the typhoon in the Philippines. The Los Angeles County Sheriff also confirmed that speed was a factor in the red Porsche Carrera GT, which was left as a bunch of charred bits and pieces. He was only a passenger in his friend’s tricky supercar. Early reports were confirmed by Walker’s publicist, Ame van Iden, and then the usual trickle occurred throughout Twitter and Facebook with confirmations from Walker’s pages.

An inspiration to many a petrolhead and a pioneer for the new generation, Walker can be likened to similar figures of the past in Hollywood, all of whom were the source of inspiration and great influence for anyone who had an interest in auto enthusiasm. While mom and dad had James Dean, Steve McQueen, James Bond, and countless more, bridging the relationship between Hollywood and the love for the car, us “millenials” grew up in the wake of their legacy in the form of Paul Walker with Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, and many others in the Fast & Furious franchise…as cheesy as he may have been in the slightest.

It’s with a heavy heart that we must confirm Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident…MORE: http://t.co/9hDuJMH99M – #TeamPW

— Paul Walker (@RealPaulWalker) December 1, 2013

But Walker was a genuine car guy at heart as well, having owned a fancy Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 Spec V II, a car that undoubtedly has had its influence on car culture en masse. Other notable examples, James Dean and the Porsche Speedster that took his (ironically), Steve McQueen and his Bullitt Mustang, James Bond’s love affair with Aston Martins, and countless more. Nonetheless, Walker leaves behind a legacy that will carry on in his favor throughout modern car culture and he will be sorely missed by many.

– By: Chris Chin

Source: Paul Walker’s Facebook, Twitter; CNN, USAToday