RIP

Paul Walker knew damn well how dangerous it is to race high-performance cars on the road ... because he was about to join the fight to stop illegal street racing ... this according to Hulk Hogan's ex-wife.

Linda Hogan was in Thousand Oaks, CA last week when she told us Paul and her son, Nick Hogan, bonded over their love of race cars ... and says they had big plans.

After Nick's infamous street racing accident in 2007, he started a charity called "Keep it On the Track" -- and Linda says Paul was going to team up with Nick to spread the word about keeping high-performance race cars ON designated race tracks, and OFF streets.

The law has come down hard on the guys who allegedly pillaged the Paul Walker crash scene ... they've been charged with 3 crimes.

18-year-old Jameson Witty was caught on video stealing the T-top roof of the Porsche right off the tow truck ... and, as if that wasn't enough of a smoking gun ... he then bragged about the heist by posting pics of the stolen wreckage on Instagram.

The L.A. County District Attorney has just charged Witty and his alleged accomplice, Anthony Janow, with felony grand theft, along with 2 misdemeanors -- destroying evidence and resisting, obstructing and delaying a peace officer.

If convicted, the 2 men face up to 4 years and 6 months behind bars.

The former COO of Napster was killed Sunday during a bike ride in L.A. when he was struck by a Sheriff's patrol car on Mulholland Highway.

65-year-old Milton Olin Jr. -- who worked at the famous music-sharing site from 2000 to 2002 -- was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash occurred around 1pm and witnesses say Olin was in the bike lane when he was struck.

As for the Sheriff's deputy -- he was hospitalized for cuts to his face and eye stemming from shattered glass from the windshield of the patrol car.

Cops are investigating -- and so far, officials say neither drugs nor alcohol appear to be involved.

Some deranged creep tried to make a quick buck off Paul Walker's death by selling pieces of burned bark he claims he took from the tree Paul crashed into ... TMZ has learned.

The seller says he took 6 pieces of charred tree (pictured below) from the crash site and put them on eBay -- asking for at least $100 per item.

But we've learned ... the seller had a change of heart (which might have had something to do with the hate mail he got) and he decided to to pull the auction for good.

The Porsche GT that Paul Walker was in when he died was just too fast for music producer Mally Mall ... who tells TMZ he had to dump the car because he didn't feel safe behind the wheel.

Mally -- who's worked with Chris Brown, Drake, Tyga and others -- told us he had the GT a few years ago, but sold it because he couldn't control it 100% of the time.

In fact, Mally Mall says the car would sometimes fishtail at high speeds (he once got it to 140 MPh) ... and it scared the crap out of him.

Paul Walker's fans RECORDED FOOTAGE of the scumbags who stole pieces of the wrecked Porsche GT the actor died in ... and the video, obtained by TMZ, could help prosecutors put the bad guys behind bars.

The video -- shot by fans who were at the scene to pay tribute to the actor -- captured the moments when two men ran over to the Porsche, which was on a tow truck, and ripped off pieces of the roof.

The crooks then sprinted away from the car ... as the fans screamed at them to stop and honked their car horn to alert other people about the crime.

We broke the story ... cops were called and quickly arrested one of the suspects. The other man fled the state, but cops say they know who he is and expect the guy to turn himself in soon.

Four years before he died, Paul Walker sat down in an interview and said his ultimate "dream car" was the Porsche Carrera GT ... the very car he died in ... and the interview was captured on video.

Paul was promoting "Fast & Furious" during the 2009 interview ... and raved about the GT -- saying, "That's the top car."

First responders to the Paul Walker crash declared the actor dead almost immediately after arriving on the scene ... and TMZ has obtained audio of the call to dispatch.

According to the recording ... the first firefighters arrived less than 3 minutes after a 911 call alerted them to the crash -- and one of their first communications from the scene is "two fatalities" ... and "DOA."

The man on-scene also informs dispatch it's a "Code N" incident ... which means it's a newsworthy event that should be handled with care.

As we previously reported ... several of Paul's friends were on-scene and most likely told firefighters the actor was in the vehicle.

Listen to the audio ... it's clear firefighters had no doubt Paul and Roger Rodas died instantly.

Paul Walker will be remembered by thousands of auto enthusiasts this weekend with a huge, noisy car rally ... but TMZ has learned law enforcement will be out in force ... gunning for any reckless drivers.

The car meet is scheduled to begin at noon on Hercules Street ... near the spot where Walker and Roger Rodas died in the fiery crash of their Porsche Carrera GT last weekend.

More than 20,000 people are expected to show up -- that's a lot of vehicles. City officials are urging locals to avoid the area altogether.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ they'll be ready for trouble, too ... with a highly visible police presence to make sure the event goes off safely.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela -- famous for his fight to end the racist policy of apartheid -- died today at the age of 95.

Mandela's health had been in steep decline over the past few months -- he was hospitalized on June 8 for kidney and liver problems and had been on life support. Doctors also said he had a recurring lung infection.

The President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, had said Mandela was "well looked after" and "comfortable" during his final days.

Mandela became an international figure during his 27 years in prison for conspiring to overthrow South Africa's government. He was released in 1990, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in '93.

In 1994 Mandela helped orchestrate South Africa's first multi-racial election -- and became the country's first Black president.

Over the years, Mandela's been portrayed by several major actors including Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover and Idris Elba.

He also made a cameo as a teacher in Spike Lee's 1992 flick "Malcolm X."

R.I.P.

Paul Walker did NOT make a final desperate attempt to escape the burning wreckage -- and the image seen in video shot right after the crash is definitely NOT Paul ... TMZ has learned.

There had been rampant speculation and buzz on the Internet that a shadowy figure seen around 23 seconds into the video of the burning Porsche Carrera GT ... was Walker trying to get out of the vehicle, but sources connected to the investigation now say it just isn't so ... for several reasons.

First, the sources tell us that, based on photographs of the wreckage ... Paul's body was pinned in an area of the car that makes it clear he couldn't have been flailing outside the vehicle.

Also ...we're told that based on the injuries he suffered, Paul died within a nanosecond of impact, and therefore it's impossible for the image in the video to be him.

It's not clear how long after impact the video starts, but clearly more than a nanosecond.

The crash site where Paul Walker and Roger Rodas died has become so cluttered with fan memorabilia ... the city has cleared the area and will begin cracking down on looky-loos who come to visit ... TMZ has learned.

Reps for the city of Santa Clarita tell us ... the flowers, candles, posters, and other tributes -- not to mention all the trash -- that have been left at the crash site by fans paying their respects had piled up in the street and created a road hazard.

We're told city crews have not thrown anything away ... but they've moved all of the items off the street and onto the sidewalk ... and they've invited the Walker and Rodas families to take away anything they'd like to keep.

Also ... we've learned that starting today the city will be enforcing NO parking on the street near the scene of the crash ... handing out tickets to violators.

A close examination of the video showing the Paul Walker's Porsche engulfed in flames reveals a shadowy image appearing to flail.

There is now a swirl of speculation that the image, seen roughly 23 seconds into the clip, is Paul attempting to escape the death trap.

Law enforcement sources who participated in the investigation tell TMZ ... there is strong evidence that Paul and Roger Rodas never got out of their seats, but when pressed they would not conclusively say that Paul didn't attempt an escape.

Our sources say ... investigators are confident Roger absolutely didn't move -- but they would not definitely say that about Paul.

One source says it appears both men were trapped in their seats and therefore did not attempt an escape, but the key word is "appears."

We're told law enforcement is looking at the video now.

With "The Fast and the Furious 6" being released on DVD next week, the people behind the movie scrambled to change the entire marketing campaign in the wake of Paul Walker's death ... and now the new ads are beginning to surface.

One of the TV spots begins with somber music and a slow montage of Paul ... and explains how a portion of the proceeds from the DVD and Blue Ray sales will go towards Walker’s charity Reach Out Worldwide.

Paul Walker's longtime girlfriend Jasmine Pilchard-Gosnell fell to pieces yesterday ... and friends continued to show their support for her after Paul's sudden death.

It's the first time the 23-year-old has been photographed since the tragedy -- breaking down outside Paul's home in Santa Barbara on Tuesday.

Paul Walker died from the combined effects of traumatic and thermal injuries sustained from the Nov. 30 car crash ... this according to the L.A. County Coroner's Office.

Translation -- Paul did not die from the impact of the crash alone. He burned to death after the Porsche GT crashed into a tree and a pole and exploded into flames.

The man who was driving the Porsche GT, Roger Rodas, died from multiple traumatic injuries suffered upon impact. Burning was not listed as a factor in his death.

The coroner says toxicology results for both men will be available in 6 to 8 weeks.

The Medical Examiner says both deaths have been ruled as an accident.

Sources in the coroner's office tell us ... both men were positively ID'd by using dental records.

Walker and Rodas were killed Saturday in Santa Clarita, CA when the Porsche GT they were in veered off the road, slammed into a pole and exploded in flames. The cause of that crash is still under investigation.