Santa Clarita, California (CNN) -- Stunned by his untimely death in a car wreck, fans, friends and family remembered actor Paul Walker -- what he meant to them and what he did for them.
Speed played a role in the one-car crash that killed "The Fast and the Furious" actor Paul Walker in Southern California on Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
Walker, 40, was a passenger in the red 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames in the city of Santa Clarita on Saturday afternoon.
"Speed was a factor in the solo vehicle collision," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.
Deputy Mark Pope said the accident was under investigation and he did not know how fast the car was going.
The Los Angeles Times
identified the driver as Roger Rodas, 38, a friend of Walker's who owned Always Evolving, an auto dealership and racing services company.
The sheriff's department would not confirm that. The company could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
In a message on its Facebook page, the company posted a message that said, "Thank you all for your condolences and prayers while we mourn the loss of our loved ones."
The blond-haired, blue-eyed Walker was in five of the six "The Fast and the Furious" films about illegal street racing and heists. A seventh installment was in development, according to Universal, the studio behind the franchise.
Walker played law enforcement official Brian O'Conner in the movie series.
The first movie in the series, which stars Vin Diesel, was released in 2001, and a seventh was in development at the time of his death, Universal, the studio behind the franchise, said in a statement. The most recent film, released in May, was one of this year's biggest box office hits.
"Brother I will miss you very much," Diesel said in a post on Instagram, adding "I am absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace."
'Fast and Furious 7' delayed
The scheduled shoot today of "The Fast and The Furious 7" has been canceled.
An individual with knowledge of the production schedule told TheWrap that director James Wan, producer Neal Moritz and Universal Pictures executives had been on the phone continually since the tragic news of the actors' fatal car accident hit on Saturday evening.
The full implications of Paul Walker's death for "The Fast and The Furious 7" won't be determined until its cast and crew has had a chance to grieve, but plans to restart the shoot Monday in Atlanta after a holiday break have been scrapped.
Production was more than halfway done when Walker and business partner Roger Rodas were killed, according to two individuals close to the project. Walker and the "Furious" crew were on a Thanksgiving holiday break from production.
Shooting was scheduled for this week in Atlanta, including scenes with Walker, who as Brian O'Conner has been a lead character in every "Fast" movie except "Tokyo Drift." The production was also slated to move to Abu Dhabi later this month, but it now seems extremely unlikely that the cameras will roll as planned.
Though Wan spoke with Universal brass in a series of back-and-forth phone calls, they did not make any concrete determinations as to how the story or production would be altered - it's too soon for that, sources told TheWrap. They also have not determined if the scheduled release date will need to change, or how many days production will be delayed.
Walker had recently shot another film, Relativity Media's action film "Brick Mansions." An individual with knowledge of the production said that his work was done and the film is in post-production.
Early start on 'Young and the Restless', 'Who's the Boss?'
According to the IMDb.com movie website, Paul William Walker IV was born in Glendale, California, in 1973 and began acting at a very young age, appearing in many commercials.
He played Professor Bennet in the 1987 movie "Monster in the Closet" and starred in the television series "Throb," IMDb said.
Walker also made guest appearances on television shows, including "Charles in Charge" and "Who's the Boss?" and had a role in the soap opera, "The Young and the Restless."
Other film appearances include "Timeline," "Into the Blue," "The Lazarus Project" and "Hours," which is slated for release in December.
According to IMDb, Walker has a daughter named Meadow.
Universal conveyed its condolences to Walker's family, saying, "All of us at Universal are heartbroken.
"Paul was truly one of the most beloved and respected members of our studio family for 14 years, and this loss is devastating to us, to everyone involved with the Fast and Furious films, and to countless fans."
More tributes flowed on social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
"So sad. He gave a lot of joy," wrote James Franco, while model/actor Tyson Beckford posted "Tyson Beckford: RIP Paul Walker, loved working with you on "Into the Blue."
Television host Carson Daly said that he was "Sick about the tragic loss of #PaulWalker. I enjoyed our time together very much. Such a really nice guy," while actress Alyssa Milano, current host of "Project Runway All Stars," protested "No. No. No" before adding "Rest with the angels."
Reuters and the Los Angeles Times
