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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fans of "Fast & Furious" star Paul Walker erected a makeshift memorial near the site of his fatal automobile crash, as investigators worked to determine the cause of the fiery weekend wreck that also claimed the life of his friend.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said speed was a factor in Saturday's one-car crash, though it will take time to determine how fast the car was going.

Roger Rodas, Walker's friend and financial, also died, according to Walker's publicist, Ame Van Iden. She said Walker was a passenger in the 2005 red Porsche Carrera GT when they drove away from a fundraiser in the community of Valencia, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

Sheriff's deputies found the car engulfed in flames when they arrived at the site of the crash, near the fundraiser at Rodas' sport car dealership. Officials have not identified either person found in the car.

Because Walker is so closely associated with the underground culture of street racing portrayed in the popular film franchise, the accident had an eerie quality — a tragic end for a Hollywood hero of speed.

On Sunday, fans of Walker, 40, gathered to leave flowers, candles and memorabilia from the action movies. His "Fast & Furious" co-star Tyrese Gibson broke down when he visited the crash site.

"Paul is the heartbeat of this franchise and we're gonna see to it that his energy and presence lives on forever," Gibson later posted on his Instagram account.

Sheriff's deputy Peter Gomez said investigators were trying to determine how fast the car was traveling and what caused it to go out of control, including whether the driver was distracted or something in the road prompted him to swerve.

After the Porsche crashed into a light pole and tree, it burst into flames. The downed light pole had a speed limit sign of 45 mph.

Walker rode the "Fast & Furious" franchise to fame, starring in all but one of the six action blockbusters, beginning with the first film in 2001. He had been on break from shooting the seventh installment; production began in September and while much of the film has been shot, it's incomplete.

Universal Pictures has not said what it plans to do with "Fast & Furious 7," which currently is slated for release in July.

Walker and Rodas had thrown a fundraiser benefiting victims of the recent typhoon in the Philippines. The event was held by Reach Out Worldwide, a charity Walker founded in 2010 to aid victims of natural disasters.

The fundraiser and toy drive took place at Rodas' custom car shop, Always Evolving, in an area of warehouses and office parks. Rodas, 38, and Walker co-owned an auto racing team. Rodas competed in 10 Pirelli World Challenge GTS races this year, the racing organization said in a statement.

Attendees rushed to the crash, which was nearby but out of sight, to try to put out the flames with fire extinguishers.

One attendee of the event, Jim Torp, said he heard the loud sound of a car's engine revving and then an explosion. Walker and Rodas planned a quick ride, Torp said.

"The last words Paul said to anybody were, 'Hey, I'll be back in five minutes. All right?' And that was it," according to Torp.

Torp said Rodas had a young son, whom he tried to stop from running to the accident scene, but could not catch him in time.

Walker left behind two completed films. He stars in the upcoming Hurricane Katrina drama "Hours," which Lionsgate's Pantelion Films is to release Dec. 13. He also stars in "Brick Mansions," a remake of the French action film "District B13" that Relativity plans to release next year.

He is survived by his 15-year-old daughter.

The Driver's Cyn Stone tells us what AJAC's TestFest is all about. Interviewing the president, auto journalists and Shell Canada - one of its sponsors for the event.

You shouldn’t just be picking any winter tire, but one that will last throughout these tough Canadian winters. A good option is to go to your local tire store and seek what specials they have, but an alternative would be to go the classified route.

A popular classified choice is Kijiji, who can provide you with options from new, previously owned or gently used tires. Kijiji has more than 30,000 tire listings online, so they must be doing something right. As for winter tires, those ads have increased by 33 per cent from 2011 to 2012. 

So before you run out and buy a set of winter tires, Kijiji has put together some key tips including how to get safe and durable tires at a good price without compromising road safety:

Check for wear and tear. It is recommended to check the general wear and tear of tires. Check the entire circumference of your tire’s tread and note if there are any unusual wear patterns at extremities (tire lacking air), in the middle (tire too inflated) or on a side (which could indicate a problem of permutation or alignment). 

Check if tires are at the end of their life cycle. There are three ways to do this: 

1.       The traditional way – Using a quarter, it is possible to determine if your tires are still in shape for another season, which represents approximately 10,000 km. Insert the quarter in the tire grooves. If the tip of the caribou’s muzzle is not visible, then the tires are still good to go.

2.       Indication from the manufacturer – All tires have a wear indicator. The latter is a small rubber square elevation located inside of the main grooves. When the main grooves are worn to the point of being the same height as the indicator (1.6 mm or 2/32 of an inch), it is the time to change those tires.

3.       Using a Tire Groove Depth Gage – The tire groove depth gauge is a small tool to measure the groove’s thickness in 1/32 inches or in millimeters. It is also the most accurate way to determine whether or not it is the time to buy new tires. It is strongly recommended to change tires when the groove is less than 4millimetres high (5/32 inch), but the law allows them to be kept until the groove reaches 1.6 mm (2/32 inch).

Check the tires’ date of production. Even if the tire grooves remain deep enough for operational use in winter conditions, when your tires are older than 6 years, their life cycle is over. If you have any doubts on the status of a tire, please consult a specialist or your dealer for professional advice tailored to your needs.

For more information on tire listings currently on Kijiji, visit Kijiji.ca.

The answer is yes, no and maybe! Your credit score has for many years been used by traditional lenders such as banks to put you into a category of risk. This risk category has come to be numbers driven, especially in the age of the internet when car loan applications are delivered online and approvals spit out according to a lender’s algorithm. What this means is that those lenders that only use a numerically based credit scoring approach, consistently will refuse your application for a car loan if you have a low credit score. 

There is a solution to being refused for a car loan by a traditional lender. Bank alternative lenders or sub prime lenders have filled the gap for consumers who do not fit into the traditional lender criteria. These lenders have developed programs for auto loan financing that do not base lending decisions strictly on a credit score. Bank alternative lenders focus less on a credit score and more on an applicant’s current credit status. They look at current bill payment history, employment and housing history. For some clients, the requirement for a down payment or security deposit may also be a condition of the lending agreement. Bank alternative lenders assess their lending risk on a customer’s ability to repay the loan, rather than just their credit score.

Benefits of Obtaining a Bank Alternative Car Loan and Your Credit Score

Obtaining a bank alternative auto loan has its benefits. The approved loan enables a consumer to re-build their credit by making on time and regular payments. Bank alternative lenders have an obligation to the consumer to report their payment history to credit bureau reporting agencies. By keeping their loan obligation, consumers can develop a favourable payment history that will be reported to their credit bureau and assist in raising their credit score. 

A bank alternative loan approval will also improve a person’s credit score by limiting the number of inquiries into their credit history.Each time a consumer applies for credit, the potential lender of the financing will pull a credit bureau report against them. If consumers plan on shopping around for a vehicle, a pre-approval commitment will prevent the need to pull a credit bureau report every time they find a vehicle they like. Credit inquiries are kept on a credit bureau for a minimum of two years, and the more inquiries made on a consumer’s credit report, the greater the negative impact on their credit history report. Multiple inquiries can leave lenders with the conclusion that a consumer is shopping for credit and continues the process because they’re being declined. 

There are bank alternative lenders such as TREND Financial that provide auto loan financing to consumers across Ontario. TREND Financial will work with consumers to improve their credit history by providing loans that are manageable and if maintained, will help in the credit re-building process. TREND Financial has an obligation to its clients to report the credit payment history to the credit bureau reporting agencies. Where in Canada, there are two agencies that record credit history, Equifax and TransUnion. Re-building a credit score can take time but with an auto loan designed for a low credit score, a bank alternative approval can be the first step in the credit score re-building process.