"But I’m not here to speak ill of the dead. I’m here to state that I’ve seen dozens of cars hit walls and stuff at high speeds and the number of them that I have observed to eject their powertrains and immediately catch massive fire is, um, ah, zero. Modern cars are very good at not catching fire in accidents. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which is an evolutionary design from a company known for sweating the safety details over and above the Euro NCAP requirements, should be leading the pack in the not-catching-on-fire category." (emphasis added)
But then it happened again, also coincidentally enough, in southern California:
2 Killed After Car Crashes Into Palm Tree in Riverside
Two people were killed Wednesday when a car burst into flames after hitting a tree in a Riverside neighborhood.
Two people were killed when a car crashed into a palm tree in Riverside Wednesday. (Credit: KTLA)
The crash happened on Jackson Street near Sage Avenue at about 3 a.m. when the car slammed into a palm tree, according to authorities.
Aerial video from Sky5 showed the car had split into pieces and burned on a neighborhood sidewalk.
The car was traveling through the neighborhood at a high rate of speed, according to neighbors.
“I thought a bomb went off,” one person said about the noise he heard when the car struck the tree.
Both victims were inside inside the car when it crashed. Their identities were not immediately released.
The cause of the crash was under investigation. (emphasis added)
And now we have a third car explosion, again in southern California, this time killing a Hollywood actor!
Officials: Paul Walker crash not part of street race
Dec. 3, 2013, 8:01 AM EST
By JUSTIN PRITCHARD , Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- While the neighborhood where "Fast & Furious" star Paul Walker died in a fiery crash is known to attract street racers, law enforcement officials do not believe the Porsche he and a friend were riding in had been racing another car.
Accident investigators "have received eyewitness statements that the car involved was traveling alone at a high rate of speed," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement Monday. "No eyewitness has contacted the (department) to say there was a second vehicle."
Walker and his friend and fellow fast-car enthusiast Roger Rodas died Saturday when Rodas' 2005 Porsche Carrera GT smashed into a light pole and tree, then exploded in flames. The posted limit was 45 mph.
The two had taken what was expected to be a brief drive away from a charity fundraiser and toy drive at Rodas' custom car shop in Valencia, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Walker's publicist said the action star was the passenger.
The crash happened on a street that forms an approximately 1-mile loop amid industrial office parks. It is rimmed by hills and relatively isolated from traffic, especially on weekends when the businesses are closed.
"It's well-known out here that that's a hot spot for street racers," California Highway Patrol Sgt. Rick Miler said.
Skid marks are a testament to past antics on the loop. The sheriff's department, which polices the neighborhood, said Saturday's wreck was not the first speed-related crash there, but would not reveal specifics.
Meanwhile, investigators are consulting video from security cameras, talking to witnesses and analyzing physical evidence such as on-board computer data from the Porsche.
A steady stream of fans has flocked to the crash site to leave flowers, candles and memorabilia from the action films.
On Monday night, a private memorial for survivors and the cast and crew of the "Fast & Furious" movies was held inside a white tent erected around the crash site. When it was over, Walker's co-star Vin Diesel emerged to thank fans for paying their respect to the actor.
"Thank you for coming and showing that angel up in heaven how much you appreciated him," Diesel said to the crowd, using the bullhorn of a police cruiser.
Officials have not named either person found in the car. The bodies were so badly burned by the fire that engulfed the wreck that dental records will be needed to confirm their identities.
Walker and Rodas had bonded over their shared love of fast cars.
Rodas, 38, and Walker, 40, co-owned an auto racing team named after Rodas' shop, Always Evolving. Rodas was a financial adviser as well as a professional driver who competed in 10 Pirelli World Challenge GTS races in 2013. He finished second in rookie of the year standings, circuit spokesman Dave Drimmie said.
Walker starred in all but one of the six "Fast & Furious" blockbusters. He had been on break from shooting the latest installment; Universal Pictures has not said what it plans to do with "Fast & Furious 7," currently slated for a July release. (emphasis mine again)
So what's going on with the regularity of real-life exploding cars in southern California? Does it all have something to do with computers in cars? Is this some sinister NATO psy-op? (Thanks to elfismiles for that link.) Or just one of those strange coincidences that just happens, try not to read too much into it. I'm feeling troubled about this. Were cars exploding just as regularly in past years and I just wasn't paying attention?
-- or to keep the 