As investigations of the car crash and explosion that killed Paul Walker continue, authorities now believe that the crash was a result of mechanical failure.
According to People, a statement about the accident was released by police, reading, "When they arrived, deputies found the vehicle engulfed in flames. The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded, extinguished the fire and subsequently located two victims inside the vehicle. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene." Authorities previously believed speed was a factor in the crash.
Now, TMZ reports that there are several hints that point to a possible steering fluid leak in the vehicle just before the crash.
The auto shop that worked on the sports car, Always Evolving, was co-owned by Walker and the Porsche driver Roger Rodas. The shop revealed that at the scene of the accident, there was evidence of a fluid burst and fluid trail just before the skid marks that were left.
Furthermore, the skid marks left a straight line instead of a swerving pattern, indicating that the driver did not have steering control at the time of impact. The observation that the fire overcame the vehicle so quickly also indicates a fluid leak, since the fire occurred in the front of the car instead of just in the back where the engine is.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
