Paul Walker dead: Thousands of fans attend unofficial memorial at site of his death crash

Respects: Fans gather to pay tribute to Paul Walker

Fast and Furious fans paid tribute in their thousands to the late Paul Walker with an unofficial memorial at the site of his death crash in California.

Petrolheads yesterday converged on Santa Clarita near Los Angeles in muscle cars and on motorbikes after word spread of the event on social media.

Traffic backed up for miles ahead of the noon start time and mourners brought flowers and candles along with them to honour the 40-year-old actor.

Drivers revved their engines in tribute, while one fan could be seen with a sign which read "RIP Means Racing in Paradise".

Onlookers, many with their families, braved temperatures in the 40s as they passed by the site in a steady stream throughout the afternoon.

Walker died when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in smashed into a tree and then burst into flames.

The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, 38, was also killed.

Many fans at the memorial signed their names on a large billboard featuring a picture of Walker and Rodas

Many of the fans arrived in built-for-speed vehicles like the ones featured in the ‘‘Fast and Furious’’ movies and favored by the action star, and revved their engines in tribute.

‘‘RIP Means Racing in Paradise,’’ read one fan’s sign.

Walker was in Santa Clarita for a fundraiser organised by his charity, Reach Out Worldwide, for victims of the recent Philippines typhoon.