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Paul Walker’s legacy lives on through Fast & Furious fans and his daughter Meadow
It feels like it was only yesterday when he died in a tragic situation but in reality, it has been more than 10 years and Paul Walker is still a big loss to the Fast & Furious fans and to his daughter who are both the ones keeping his legacy alive. On Nov. 30, 2013, Walker was on his way from an event for Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), the humanitarian organization he founded, when he died in a car crash not long after. He was 40 years old. Besides the memory of Paul that is still preserved through the characters he played, his daughter Meadow, who set up The Paul Walker Foundation in 2015 and is the one continuing it, is very much alive. She often pays tribute to her dad in her own life calling him her ‘guardian angel.’
Paul Walker’s brother believes that the late actor’s influence is still alive
Paul Walker’s brother, Cody, in an interview with PEOPLE in November 2023, talked about the influence that the late actor had to the people around him and shared what he wished Paul could see. “His legacy would be the first thing I would tell him that it is still going on,” Cody said. “I would tell him that the organization that he founded, ROWW, is not only alive but also vibrant and that it is still a source of help to people everywhere.”
Here is everything one needs to know about the passing of Paul Walker as well as his lasting impact.
How did Paul Walker die?
Walker was killed in a single-car accident as a passenger when he was riding in his friend Roger Rodas’ red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. The two, who had met at the California Race Club and later competed together on a motor team, were going back from a Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW) charity event that was raising funds for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
The coroner’s report stated that the death of Paul Walker was due to the combined effects of “traumatic and thermal” injuries. The driver, for some unknown reason, lost control of the vehicle, which then hit the sidewalk, trees, and a lamppost. “The impact from these collisions caused the vehicle to rotate 180 degrees and it kept on moving in an easterly direction,” it was explained in the report. Trees were hit by the car on the passenger side, and the vehicle went up in flames. The investigation did not find any indication that drugs or alcohol were involved at the time.
When did Paul Walker die?
Paul Walker died on Nov. 30, 2013, at around 3:30 p.m. His Facebook page and X account, among other things, confirmed the death in an official statement that read, “With deep sorrow, we must also confirm that the day has ended with the loss of Paul Walker in a tragic car accident while he was at a charity event.”
Where was the place of Paul’s death?
Paul Walker died when his car spun out of control and crashed resulting in a fatal accident in Valencia which is a district of Santa Clarita, California, near the Rye Canyon Loop. Just a few hours before, he and his friend Roger Rodas were at an event for Walker’s charity, Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW). They took off in Rodas’ red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT which after Rodas losing control hit a concrete lamppost and two trees.
What were Paul Walker’s last words?
One of Paul’s friends, Jim Torp, remembered the very last words he had with the actor before he died. When interviewed by ABC News, Torp informed that he was at the charity event with Walker and Roger Rodas, and it was Walker who said to him: “Hey, I’ll be back with you in 5 minutes.” It was the last time he heard the actor speak.
How did the public react to Paul Walker’s death?
After Paul Walker’s death, the grief and support were nearly limitless, reaching the whole entertainment community and fans worldwide.
Vin Diesel, a Fast & Furious costar and godfather to Meadow Walker, made a speech at the crash site, two days after the accident. Using a sheriff’s car loudspeaker he talked to the people who were there in person or had come to show their respect and love: “If he could see for himself that all of you have showed up to show my brother love at this hard time, and his family gets to see all of you show the love that you’ve shown Paul, it’s going to stay with me forever,” he said.
In his tribute to the late actor, rapper and Fast & Furious cast member Ludacris wrote, “Your humble spirit was felt from the start, wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark, we were like brothers & our birthdays are only 1 day apart, now You will forever hold a place in all of our hearts @paulwalker legacy will live on forever. R.I.P.”.
Tributes to Paul Walker continued online and in music
One of the avenues where tributes were expressed was the internet, and among these were messages from celebrities who offered their condolences to the family. Michael B. Jordan, Ellen DeGeneres, Gisele Bündchen and many more on X grieved the loss of the actor.
While filming Furious 7, Paul Walker passed away. To that end, in 2015, Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth came out with “See You Again,” a song made as a memorial to Walker, which was later used as the soundtrack of the movie.
By far, it turned out to be the best-selling single of Khalifa’s career and relatively, the second-best of Puth’s – the song spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at the number one slot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Also, it was awarded three Grammy nominations.
What did Meadow Walker say about the passing of her father?
Her dad’s birthday and Father’s Day are still being celebrated by Paul Walker’s daughter, Meadow, in her Instagram posts. “Happy birthday daddy. I love you forever and miss you every day,” she wrote next to an old photo of them in September 2025. On the 10th anniversary of his death, she posted a video with the words, “10 years without you… I love you forever,” on Instagram.
Meadow regularly finds signs through which she can connect her late father to her present life. “Dad’s favorite numbers are four and seven,” she told E! News in May 2023. “I swear that when I am in a doubt … I find four and seven everywhere. So I always know that it is him.”
Meadow, through The Paul Walker Foundation, is making a difference. The foundation, according to its website, “aspires to educate and equip people with the necessary skills to meet the challenges of the future.” She is its founder and CEO.
What legacy did Paul Walker leave behind?
Paul Walker is still commemorated each year on the anniversary of his passing, that is, Nov. 30. Through Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW), the disaster‑relief organization Walker started after the Haiti earthquake in 2010, and by embodying one of Paul’s fundamental principles: kindness, his brother Cody keeps his memory alive.
“Paul didn’t care if you were the bellhop or the busboy or the waiter, some big CEO or some other famous person. He treated everybody the same,” Cody told PEOPLE in 2023.
Walker’s family and Fast & Furious friends have always been a strong support network. Vin Diesel and Jordana Brewster were among the people present when, in October 2021, Meadow, his daughter, tied the knot with Louis Thornton‑Allan at a beachside ceremony in the Dominican Republic (the couple have since separated). In a video that Meadow shared later, Diesel is seen taking her hand and leading her down the aisle.
