As most of you have probably already heard, Fast And Furious star, Paul Walker was killed in a horrific crash yesterday. He was attending a charity car event yesterday afternoon, and he went for a ride in his friend, Rodger Rodas’ (who was a former racing driver), Porsche Carrera GT. Somewhere during the ride, the driver lost control of the notoriously twitchy Porsche, and they crashed. No details have been released yet on the exact circumstances of the crash, but the car was ripped in half, and the fuel tank had ruptured, engulfing the car in flames. Both men were killed in the accident.

This tragedy has shaken the car enthusiast world to the core. I know that my whole generation was, in many ways, brought into our love of cars by Paul Walker and Vin Diesel in The Fast And The Furious, so we all owe Paul a lot of gratitude.

Looking at the wreckage and the situation, it is clear that speed was a factor, but what one of us would turn down a ride in a Carrera GT? And who among us would want our Carrera GT ride to be slow? Being realistic, what happened was a terrible accident that resulted from the pursuit of reckless fun that all gear heads engage in. Paul was a huge car enthusiast, part of the reason why his charity was holding a car event yesterday. We should all admire his passion and his character.

I am not going to say, “don’t drive fast” because as a car guy myself, I know that would mean giving up the passion we all hold so dear. But Paul’s death should come as a reminder to us all that what we engage in is indeed dangerous, and that a fun-filled afternoon can turn into a terrible tragedy in the blink of an eye. So please, when you are out having your fun in your car, try to be cognizant of the situation around you, and keep the risks you take at a manageable level for your own ability as well as the abilities of the machine you are driving. This isn’t about “don’t do stupid things”, this is more “please try to be smart about being stupid.”

-Nick