that claimed the life of "Fast and Furious" star Paul Walker, also cost the world a beloved racing enthusiast, philanthropist, and financial planner, Roger Rodas.
Rodas, a close friend of Walker's, was driving the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT that crashed into a light pole and burst into flames on that fateful day in November 2013. The two had just left a fund-raiser for their charity at Rodas' auto shop when the crash occurred.
Though he didn't have the star status of Paul Walker, Rodas was well-known in his own right in the racing community and the financial world.
Who was Roger Rodas?
A native of El Salvador, Rodas was a major player in the financial world, rising to the position of managing director of wealth management for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, according to
. Rodas earned a spot in Barron's list of America's top 1,000 financial advisers in 2010 through 2012. He also served as Walker's financial adviser.
Rodas was married and had two young sons when he died in the crash. One of his sons was first on the scene of the accident after hearing the crash from the auto shop and running to spot the burning car.
Rodas' passion for racing led him to open an auto shop, dubbed Always Evolving, in Los Angeles. Rodas also captained a racing team sponsored by his shop.
Rodas and Walker met at a California race club, where Rodas was driving a Porsche previously owned by Walker. They quickly became friends and racing partners, once teaming with a pair of professional drivers in a 25-hour pro-am endurance race in Thunder Hill, California.
Walker also was a driver on the racing team Rodas organized through his racing shop—a team that Rodas captained.
Rodas and Walker also paired up for their philanthropic work. Before meeting Walker, Rodas had founded a charity to raise money to assist orphans and widows in El Salvador.
after a massive earthquake devastated Haiti in January 2010. Walker organized a team of skilled workers to assist in the wake of the disaster but saw problems with the supply chain—and encountered difficulty reaching the more remote areas of the country.
ROWW created a small team of medical and construction specialists that could respond quickly to natural disasters around the globe. The team flies into damaged areas with their own equipment to begin offering immediate assistance. It continues to operate today.
Insurance for race cars to streetcars
The Porsche Carrera GT involved in the Rodas-Walker fatal crash is a notoriously difficult car to handle, even for experienced race drivers. Speed was considered a factor in the crash. The Carrera GT was thought to be traveling at 90 mph when it hit the light pole that had a 45 mph speed limit sign attached to it.
Whether you are looking for insurance for a high-powered race car or just your daily commute streetcar,
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