14 DAY TRIAL // When news of Paul Walker's tragic death in a burning car crash first broke out, there were reports of people with fire extinguishers trying to put out the blaze, that refused to leave the scene when rescue teams arrived and were detained by police.
Now it has come to light that one of the people trying to save Paul Walker from the car was stuntman and longtime friend Newt Wimer. The 37-year-old desperately tried to put out the flames that had already engulfed the Porsche Carrera GT by the time he got to the scene of the accident.
It seems this attempt earned him burn injuries to his arms and also a restraining from police for his own protection. “He would have carried on if he hadn’t been restrained. In fact it’s lucky he was or he could have died too. But despite that, he will be in pieces, just wishing he could have saved them both,” said one of Wimer's friends.
Wimer and Walker were longtime friends, having gone to high school together at Village Christian School in Sun Valley, California. “Newt is absolutely devastated by what has happened. He is a brave man and he did everything he could that day,” added his friend.
Wimer was close to Walker throughout the years, playing an active role in the actor's charity “Reaching Out” but also being an engineer on Walker and Rodas' racing team “Always Evolving,” indicating that he was also close to the driver, Roger Rodas.
The same source close to Wimer explained that “Losing Paul and Roger is such a massive blow to this group and this community. Not only were they hugely well-respected, popular guys, they were also so important to many different businesses and charities. The ramifications of their deaths will go on for a long time.”
The “Fast & Furious” actor died on November 30 in a car crash that also involved friend and business partner Roger Rodas while attending a charity event to aid the typhoon victims in the Philippines. The 2005 Porsche Carrera GT he was in slammed into a light post at great speed and burst into flames, killing both its occupants.