LOS ANGELES (KTLA) — The crash that killed journalist Michael Hastings was ruled an accident by police, but conspiracy theories continued to circulate on Friday.
Hastings, 33, was killed in a fiery solo-vehicle crash in Hancock Park early Tuesday morning.
He was best known for a 2010 Rolling Stone article that led to the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who was the former U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt. Joseph Biggs told KTLA that he received an email from Hastings on Monday.
Biggs had known Hastings since 2008, when the journalist was embedded in his unit in Afghanistan.
“On Monday morning, I woke up and I got an email, and it’s very panicked,” Biggs said.
He was blind-copied on the email, which was sent to Hastings’ colleagues.
In part, it said that the feds were interviewing his close friends and associates, and that he was onto a big story and needed to get off the radar.
The FBI has denied that Hastings was ever under investigation.
“It alarmed me very much,” Biggs said. “I just said it doesn’t seem like him. I don’t know, I just had this gut feeling and it just really bothered me,” he said.
The email was sent just before 1 p.m. on Monday, 15 hours before the deadly crash.
Breaking news photographer Scott Lane happened to be less than a mile from the scene of the crash, and shot video of the fiery aftermath.
Video taken from his car’s dashcam also caught what appeared to be Hastings’ Mercedes minutes before the crash, speeding through a red light.
More than 30 seconds pass after Hastings’ car goes by, and no other cars pass through the intersection.
“There’s no cars that are following him,” Lane said. “He flies by and 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds goes by… No cars are following him.”
Still, the conspiracy theories continued on the Internet, and Biggs said he just wants to know the truth about what happened to his friend.
“I’m going to be willing to help and do whatever I can and make sure that people look into this story and make sure they find out whatever happened.”
Investigators were looking into whether Hastings’ car had a mechanical problem, or if he may have had a medical condition that caused him to crash, police said.
Budderseric
Strange
jvbronke
This was a hit pure and simple and our police know they have to keep quiet. May not have been the FBI probably a black CIA team. will anyone get the scoop on his latest story? That will give you a clue.
tman404
I'd love to get the info he has and finish the story!!
CindyBPBP
Strange
CindyBPBP
Oh, good lord admin
CindyBPBP
Conservative
CindyBPBP
Tea Party
CindyBPBP
Conservative and Tea Party
Freedoms not Free
All I said was our government will go to extreme ends to silence descent so I questioned why someone would automatically say someone Conservative. My message was blocked! NSA?
CindyBPBP
Tea Party and Conservative investigated
CindyBPBP
Well, at least admin you didn't delete those
jbchinoca
Car sabotage
republicmainstreet
Strange! I thought a Mercedes was one of the safest vehicles on the road. How many car crashes do you see that end up in a fiery inferno? I don't buy into most conspiracy theories, but this is "strange".
Jim
Thanks for this excellent investigative work!
wiseup85
Drone strike anyone?
Yeeeech
Hmmmmm, we will wait for no news at 11.
demotropolis
gas pedal glue
Thorn
Cointelpro Version 2.0