Paul Walker died in a car crash north of Los Angeles earlier this afternoon.

"He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives," Walker's rep confirmed. The actor - best known for starring in the Fast and the Furious films - was seated in the passenger side of a Porsche GT with his friend, en route to a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide.

The crash occurred in Santa Clarita, CA, where the driver at some point lost control of the vehicle, causing it to crash into a post or a tree and quickly burst into flames. It is not yet known what caused the accident.

Sources have revealed that Paul was in Santa Clarita for a car show to support victims of Typhoon Haiyan and took a break to go for the fatal ride in a friend's Porsche GT.

Walker was 40 years old.