Paul Walker, one of the stars of the popular "Fast and Furious" fast-car action movies, died in an auto crash, his publicists said on his social media accounts.
"It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide," read the posting on the actor's Facebook account Saturday.
"He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives."
The publicists, who described themselves as Team PW, wrote that they were "stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news."
A similar message was posted on Twitter.
Walker, 40, was best known for his role as undercover agent Brian O'Connor in the "Fast and Furious" movies.
He appeared in all but one of the six movies in the series, and was one of the leading protagonists along with Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez.
Walker died in Los Angeles county when the car he was traveling in slammed into a tree and caught fire, US media reported.