Judge: Walker crash not Porsche’s fault
The widow of a man driving the Porsche that crashed and killed actor Paul Walker cannot prove the carmaker is responsible for the accident, a federal judge said.
There was not enough evidence in Kristine Rodas’ claims that her husband died because the Porsche Carrera GT he was driving lacked several key safety features, U.S. District Judge Philip S. Gutierrez ruled Monday.
He said there was no evidence the Porsche’s suspension failed before the crash, as Rodas’ lawsuit claimed. She also had alleged the rare sports car lacked a crash cage and fuel cell.
Walker was riding in the Carrera GT driven by his friend Roger Rodas when the car spun out of control, struck three trees and burst into flames on a street in Santa Clarita in November 2013. Walker was on a break from filming the seventh installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise when he died.
The ruling has no bearing on two other cases against Porsche filed by Walker’s daughter and father, which are both pending in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Meadow Walker’s attorney said in a statement that while Rodas was killed instantly in the crash, Walker was still alive when the car caught fire.
“Meadow will continue the fight to hold Porsche accountable for selling a defective product that kills,” attorney Jeff Milam wrote.
Porsche has denied wrongdoing in the design, manufacture or marketing of the Carrera GT.
An investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol concluded that unsafe speed, not mechanical problems, caused the crash. Investigators said the Porsche was going up to 94 mph when it crashed.
Fey has news for Talese
Even for someone as loved as Tina Fey, a reported $6 million advance seemed like a lot of money for a book of essays.
But five years after its publication, “Bossypants” has sold 3.75 million copies, according to Little, Brown and Co.
In an email interview Tuesday with the Associated Press, Fey discussed “Bossypants” and some books she has enjoyed recently. She also had a few words for author-journalist Gay Talese, who said last weekend that he could think of no women journalists who inspired him when he was young.
Fey said, “I enjoyed Diane Von Furstenberg’s autobiography. I loved “Americanah” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I’m currently reading “Dinosaurs in the Attic” – nonfiction about the American Museum of Natural History. Nothing by Gay Talese has moved me.”
The birthday bunch
Country singer Merle Haggard is 79. Actor Billy Dee Williams is 79. Actor John Ratzenberger is 69. Actress Candace Cameron Bure is 40. Actor Charlie McDermott is 26.