Paul Walker Crash
When tragedy strikes in this age of instantaneous information we can usually bet on one thing, armchair detectives. Looking back at the folly of split-second assumptions and the ability for anyone to go online and post their hypothesis, valid or purely made-up, is something we will probably just have to get used to. In the case of the tragic death of Paul Walker however, we have at least enough factual information about the car he died in to help dispel some of the rumors and misinformation that has been seen in the media, even by some "reputable" outlets.
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| Fuel tank is located behind seats and in front of the rear-mounted engine. |
Assumption: The location of the fuel tank caused the deaths.
The facts: This may very well be true but we will get to that in a moment. At present, some less responsible media outlets are speculating that the fuel tank's location, in front of the passenger compartment's footwell, may have made it impossible for the two men to be saved. The error here is that the fuel tank on a Carrera GT (which can cost over $15,000 for the part alone) is not in the footwell but rather in the bulkhead immediately behind the driver and passenger, and in front of the engine, which is in the rear on this car. We believe the nomenclature "Carrera" has confused non-automotive types to assume it's a 911, GT2, GT3, etc. Owing to the logic that the ruptured tank may have contributed significantly to the inability of rescuers to remove the men, this is indeed possible due to the location of the tank. The GT, according to at least one report and evident from crash scene photos, hit the light pole and trees on it's passenger side, the seat Walker was occupying, and thus likely ruptured the tank allowing the fuel to splash into the passenger compartment due to forward momentum.
The facts: This may very well be true but we will get to that in a moment. At present, some less responsible media outlets are speculating that the fuel tank's location, in front of the passenger compartment's footwell, may have made it impossible for the two men to be saved. The error here is that the fuel tank on a Carrera GT (which can cost over $15,000 for the part alone) is not in the footwell but rather in the bulkhead immediately behind the driver and passenger, and in front of the engine, which is in the rear on this car. We believe the nomenclature "Carrera" has confused non-automotive types to assume it's a 911, GT2, GT3, etc. Owing to the logic that the ruptured tank may have contributed significantly to the inability of rescuers to remove the men, this is indeed possible due to the location of the tank. The GT, according to at least one report and evident from crash scene photos, hit the light pole and trees on it's passenger side, the seat Walker was occupying, and thus likely ruptured the tank allowing the fuel to splash into the passenger compartment due to forward momentum.
utting a car in half with a tree on a dry, newly paved road, in warm weather, with little or no other traffic, indicates a speed in excess of 150 MPH. The tree was standing still, which leaves the speed of the car.
This part right here. Not true.
The Carrera GT (along with many other supercars of the past 15-20 years) are specifically designed to tear in half behind the driver's compartment to help dissipate energy in a crash. Combine that with carbon fiber body panels that shatter on impact and the fact that the car caught on fire the damage seen in photos could just as well happened at 50 mph
Cutting a car in half with a tree on a dry, newly paved road, in warm weather, with little or no other traffic, indicates a speed in excess of 150 MPH.
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