Newsmakers

Newsmakers

Car in Walker crash may have been going 100 mph, report says

LOS ANGELES

The Porsche carrying “Fast & Furious” star Paul Walker may have been going 100 mph or more before it crashed, killing both Walker and the driver, according to a coroner’s report released Friday.

Roger Rodas, Walker’s friend and financial adviser, was driving the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT at an unsafe speed, and witnesses interviewed by deputies estimated it was going 100 mph or more.

No alcohol or drugs were detected in the system of either man on the day of the fiery one-car crash.

The Nov. 30 deaths were ruled accidental and were due to combined traumatic and thermal injuries, the report said. It said both men were burned over 100 percent of their bodies.

Rodas had fourth-degree burns on his head and neck and severe skull fractures, the report said.

Walker had broken bones throughout his body including his jaw, arm, ribs and pelvis, it said.

Investigators found no mechanical problems with the Porsche or debris or other problems on the roadway in an industrial park in Santa Clarita about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The sheriff’s department previously had cited speed as a factor in the crash but had released no estimate of how fast the Porsche was going.

Also Friday, two men pleaded not guilty to stealing a roof panel of the wrecked Porsche from the tow truck removing it from the accident scene.

Anthony Edward Janow, 25, and James Brooks Witty, 18, were each charged with felony counts of grand theft and misdemeanor counts of destroying evidence and resisting or obstructing a peace officer. They are due to return to court Feb. 25.

‘Blue Jasmine,’ ‘Nebraska’ gain Writers Guild bids

LOS ANGELES

“Blue Jasmine,” “Nebraska” and “American Hustle” have been nominated for Writers Guild honors, continuing their imprint on Hollywood’s awards season.

The three comedies, joined by dramas “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Her,” gained nods Friday for exceptional screenwriting in the original-screenplay category.

“August: Osage County,” “Before Midnight,” “Captain Phillips,” “Lone Survivor” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” earned bids for adapted screenplay.

“Dirty Wars,” “Herblock — The Black & The White,” “No Place on Earth,” “Stories We Tell” and “We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks” ranked among nominated documentaries.

Victors will be honored Feb. 1 at simultaneous ceremonies in New York and Los Angeles.

Judge tentatively rules against new trial in Michael Jackson case

LOS ANGELES

A judge issued a tentative ruling Friday against granting a new trial in a negligence case filed by the mother of Michael Jackson claiming a concert promoter was financially liable for the singer’s death.

Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos did not immediately finalize the ruling after hearing more than two hours of arguments from lawyers.

A jury in October rejected Katherine Jackson’s lawsuit claiming AEG Live LLC negligently hired the doctor convicted of giving her son an overdose of anesthetic in 2009.

Her lawyers argued the verdict form didn’t allow jurors to fully consider evidence in the case. Lawyers for AEG Live countered that there was no basis for a new trial.

AEG Live attorney Jessica Stebbins Bina told the judge it was actually Katherine Jackson’s lawyers who included the disputed language in drafts of the verdict form and instructions.

Associated Press