Paul Walker, an actor best known for his role as a fast-driving cop opposite bad-guy-gone-good Vin Diesel in the Fast and Furious movie series died on Saturday in a car crash in Santa Cruz, California, according to multiple sources. Walker was 40 years old.
News of the fatal crash spread first online after celebrity news site TMZ broke the story. Initially, most other news outlets and Twitter accounts picked it up as a report.
Has it been confirmed by other news sources? RT @LanceUlanoff: Paul Walker dies in crash: report http://t.co/rIPIlVNfo3 #RIP
— Jodi Echakowitz (@JodiEchakowitz) December 1, 2013
Across Twitter, fans expressed disbelief. Most assumed it was a hoax.
@LanceUlanoff it's said to be a hoax.
— $King Koopa$ MK-47 (@konopamike) December 1, 2013
OMG! What!? RT @TMZ #BREAKING Paul Walker Dead http://t.co/RavOus0BkM
— Chelsea Briggs (@Chelsea_Briggs) December 1, 2013
It was another hour before TMZ and then ABC News got confirmation from the actor's representatives.
TMZ's web site was inundated with traffic and, for a brief period of time, actually went down. When it returned, it appeared with this sentence added to the original story: "A rep for the actor confirms Paul died today in the crash after leaving a charity event."
Throughout the evening Walker's fans, especially those of the long-running Fast and Furious films, and celebrities expressed sadness.
Rest in peace Paul walker this makes me so sad fast and furious movies are some of my favorites
— Googz (@G_Googz) December 1, 2013
Shocked and stunned by the news of #PaulWalker. RIP. Far too young and far too sudden.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) December 1, 2013
Within a few hours "Fast and Furious" was trending on Twitter, though, oddly, not "Paul Walker." As news of his death spread, thousands started following the actor's Twitter account.
According to IMDB, Walker stared in at least 40 TV shows and films, two of which were still in production, including the latest installment of Fast and Furious.
Image: Getty Images for Universal Pictures