Splash NewsAs is so often the case these days, the moment of truth was caught on video.
A security camera across the corner from the accident site captured long-view footage of the spot where the car crash that killed Paul Walker and friend and business partner Roger Rodas occurred, as well as the resulting commotion and rescue efforts as emergency personnel and other cars arrived at the scene.
In the footage provided by VITEK Industrial Video Products Headquarters, edited here for time, about a minute elapses between the car hitting a light post, which then fell over, and the moment when smoke started to rise from the site.
Police cars begin pulling up as the smoke grows steadily darker and starts billowing higher. Authorities have said that the bodies inside the Porsche were burned beyond recognition by the time firefighters were able to get to them after extinguishing the blaze.
Autopsies were completed earlier today, though official identifications have not been made pending the matching of the remains dental records. Results are expected to be released Wednesday.
A temporary security hold was placed on both cases to, as Chief Coroner Craig Harvey explained to E! News this afternoon, prevent the spread of misinformation and keep the playing field level among media outlets.
"These types of cases present real challenges to our staff and we get one chance to get it right," Harvey said. "There are a series of checks and balances we follow so that our work product is rock solid. We owe that to the families we serve and I know the media wants accurate information."
Meanwhile, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department is said to be focusing its investigation into the cause of the accident on how fast the Porsche was going when Rodas apparently lost control. Authorities have said that there's no sign the guys were street-racing at the time or that another car was involved.
"Video file was taken from the VITEK Industrial Video Products Headquarters which is located across the corner from the accident site," the video surveillance company said in a statement to E! News.
"The VITEK ENVI Series IP Camera—after digital zoom from over 500 feet—is able to determine the direction the car was moving and the fact that there was no other car immediately seen after the crash. This would indicate that they were likely not racing.
"Several cars pull over shortly afterwards and the emergency crew arrives quickly. We hope this footage helps to aid in the investigation and our hearts go out to the family of both Paul Walker and Roger Rodas."
—Reporting by Holly Passalaqua