HASTINGS UPDATE August 16

When news broke that Michael Hastings had died in an explosive car crash near Hollywood, the internet soon was thriving with conspiracy theories. It was - and remains - a sensational story lurking for an evil plot.    

What I find strange is so many people, even if they are convinced that this was simply a horrible accident, so quickly dismiss those who are equally convinced it was a dastardly act that killed the investigative reporter on June 18..  

To the former, consider this:  A Russian investigative reporter whose article brought down the Red Army general in charge of Russian commandos, and who was working on a story about the head of the KGB, died in a fiery car crash in Moscow. Would anyone in the United States believe the "no foul play" party line?  Please. 

Moving on, not surprisingly,  there are Michael Hastings rumors floating on the internet that have no or little basis. One of them is that Hastings body was cremated against his family's wishes.  The Los Angeles Coroner's said Friday morning that is not true. While Hastings body was cremated, it was done so,- by a mortuary- at the request of a friend of Hastings' wife who had put him in charge of the matter, according to the coroner's office..

"His wife had a friend out here who made the arrangements for the body to be cremated,° said Ed Winter, assistant chief of operations at the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.   "The internet made it seem the city had burned the body to remove some kind of evidence. We didn't cremate his body, anyway. A mortuary did that."

Winder said that Hastings toxicology results would be made public "within days".

Another thought floating on the web is that Hastings' vehicle was traveling at only 35 miles per hour as it drove  down Highland Avenue heading toward doom.

That is not true. Not even close.  The Pizzeria Mozza security camera video that captures the crash shows several cars going by roughly a minute before Hastings' Mercedes enters the picture. The difference in speed is obvious, even startling. The Benz is going at least 80 mph, That's conservative.   

Videos of the crash on YouTube  have over 400,000 views.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjaPHWNzTHQ