Porsche not liable for Paul Walker’s death, says judge

WASHINGTON — (CNN) A federal judge in California ruled Monday that Porsche Cars of North America is not at fault for the 2013 crash of the Porsche Carrera GT that killed actor Paul Walker.

The suit had been brought by Kristine Rodas, the widow of the car’s driver, Roger Rodas.

Walker, a star of the “Fast & Furious” films, was riding in the car with Rodas.

Walker and Rodas were killed on November 30, 2013, when the Porsche went out of control on a road in Santa Clarita, California, and “impacted a power pole and several trees,” according to an investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Walker was 40 years old, Rodas 38.

The car was going between 80 and 93 mph at the time of impact, according to the report.

A 2013 coroner’s report said Walker survived the crash but died of injuries from the impact and the resulting fire.

A separate lawsuit brought by Walker’s daughter Meadow is not affected by the decision Monday, said Jeff Milam, Meadow Walker’s attorney.

“Meadow will continue the fight to hold Porsche accountable for selling a defective product that kills,” Milam said in a statement.

Meadow Walker’s suit was filed in September 2015 and says the car had multiple design flaws.

“The vehicle lacked safety features that are found on well-designed racing cars or even Porsche’s least expensive road cars — features that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash,” the suit says.

The sheriff’s investigators found that nothing mechanical went wrong to cause the Porsche to leave the road.

Walker was in the midst of a break from filming “Furious 7” when the crash occurred. The film, one of the biggest box office hits of 2015, was completed partly with the help of his two brothers, who filled in as body doubles.

(Photo: CNN)