Journalist Michael Hastings is dead at 33

[Seamus OBlimey]

Two teenagers dead after car crashes into a tree with such force its engine flew into the middle of the road as four others from a car following it are arrested

[km artlu]

"car crashes into a tree with such force its engine flew into the middle of the road"

That reads like a talking-point memo handed off from spook to asset.

[luv2dive]

Here is another interesting story by San Diego news Channel 6.

Nice to see that there are a few journalists seriously taking a look at this crash. Note the information about the location of the ejected engine, which was apparently located BEHIND the crash (????).

Also interesting that Mercedes has "not been contacted" by police, and that the reporter is not able to get police/fire reports.

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm"

Here is the link:

http://www.sandiego6.com/story/Journali ... h-20130707

[bks]

Thanks for that, luv2dive.

[82_28]

Interesting too as I noticed at the bar, that Mercedes seems to be in the middle of a strange marketing campaign. You never see that shit. Mercedes' sell themselves -- always have. Not any more. And they're funny, not well composed as being the old creme-de-la-creme. It's like they're going toe to toe with fucking KIA or something.

[8bitagent]

Here is another interesting story by San Diego news Channel 6.

Nice to see that there are a few journalists seriously taking a look at this crash. Note the information about the location of the ejected engine, which was apparently located BEHIND the crash (????).

Also interesting that Mercedes has "not been contacted" by police, and that the reporter is not able to get police/fire reports.

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm"

Here is the link:

http://www.sandiego6.com/story/Journali ... h-20130707

Wow, was not expecting that. The engine was actually farther than I first thought. Also I didn't know it was literally a brand new Mercedes, 2013 model.
It'd be interesting to know his calls/text/email/internet/movement/whereabouts leading to that moment, as well as any other possible video captures from 4am to the time of crash.
Would be interesting to know Mercedes text results on the make before they rolled out the car, the true distance of the engine from the car, actual speed he was going,
and of course what he was doing that night. Was he coming from a party/bar/mixer of some sort?

Another thing, is there any reports of newer Mercedes or similar cars freakishly accelerating out of nowhere?

[Nordic]

Here is another interesting story by San Diego news Channel 6.

Nice to see that there are a few journalists seriously taking a look at this crash. Note the information about the location of the ejected engine, which was apparently located BEHIND the crash (????).

Also interesting that Mercedes has "not been contacted" by police, and that the reporter is not able to get police/fire reports.

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm"

Here is the link:

http://www.sandiego6.com/story/Journali ... h-20130707

Kimberly Dvorak must drive an older model car.

Interesting to see some actual journalism come out of some local news channel, where obviously they don't get the same instructions as the Big Boy Pressitutes.

The engine being found that far behind where the car wrecked into the tree means it's pretty damn clear the car blew up before it hit anything.

Such an obvious hit, it's comical.

[Forgetting2]

The engine isn't behind the car. I don't know why they would say that.

[Hunter]

Here is another interesting story by San Diego news Channel 6.

Nice to see that there are a few journalists seriously taking a look at this crash. Note the information about the location of the ejected engine, which was apparently located BEHIND the crash (????).

Also interesting that Mercedes has "not been contacted" by police, and that the reporter is not able to get police/fire reports.

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm"

Here is the link:

http://www.sandiego6.com/story/Journali ... h-20130707

Wow, was not expecting that. The engine was actually farther than I first thought. Also I didn't know it was literally a brand new Mercedes, 2013 model.
It'd be interesting to know his calls/text/email/internet/movement/whereabouts leading to that moment, as well as any other possible video captures from 4am to the time of crash.
Would be interesting to know Mercedes text results on the make before they rolled out the car, the true distance of the engine from the car, actual speed he was going,
and of course what he was doing that night. Was he coming from a party/bar/mixer of some sort?

Another thing, is there any reports of newer Mercedes or similar cars freakishly accelerating out of nowhere?

Again I will register my dissatisfaction with the drinking/party/bar angle (not aimed at you 8bit just in general) does it really seem likely to any of you that a guy who sent an email 15 hours prior that he was being invesitgated by the FBI, was on a huge and dangerous story and needed to get off the radar, would then go out and party like its 1999?

Maybe my brain just doesnt work like everyone else but that to me, seems completely fucking ridiculous to even consider. And that is not to mention the guy said he was ten years sober and took it rather seriously.


The engine, while not directly BEHIND the car, was certainly NOT in front of it either, lets just agree that the engine seemingly was not where it should have been compared to impact and the direction it should have flown and landed as such. It seemed to have went somewhat in the semi opposite direction for some strange reason.

[Forgetting2]

The engine, based on the video and pictures, is south of the car, which was in the southbound lane on Highland. If its the same car running the red light at Santa Monica and Highland a few moments before, then its heading south on Highland across Melrose. The engine in the pictures and video is south of that, in a fairly direct line forward from where the car appears to have impacted the palm tree.

Again, I don't know why that reporter would say it was behind the impact. 300 feet behind the impact you're looking at businesses and not residential areas. A little further behind that you're looking at the donut shop where the Spanish speaking dude said he witnessed the crash.

[Canadian_watcher]

has anyone ever wondered if this whole thing was staged by Hastings himself in order to get off the radar?
is it possible? again, I haven't heard anything about anyone seeing a person in the car at all, and I guess if you've got friends in the coroner's office or paramedics or whatever it would be possible to do.

Outrageously difficult, (much more difficult than it would be for someone to hack the car, for instance) .. but possible.

[justdrew]

this lie about the engine being somehow "in the wrong place" is fucked up. looking at the video and the area in google earth/maps it's clear to see the engine is where one would expect it to be if 'ejected' via it's momentum.

[stillrobertpaulsen]

Two teenagers dead after car crashes into a tree with such force its engine flew into the middle of the road as four others from a car following it are arrested

I don't see any burn marks on that crumpled metal. Why didn't that car explode like Hastings' did? Must be that inferior Mercedes-Benz engineering. I'm sure we'll be seeing a C-250 recall any day now.

[8bitagent]

Here is another interesting story by San Diego news Channel 6.

Nice to see that there are a few journalists seriously taking a look at this crash. Note the information about the location of the ejected engine, which was apparently located BEHIND the crash (????).

Also interesting that Mercedes has "not been contacted" by police, and that the reporter is not able to get police/fire reports.

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm"

Here is the link:

http://www.sandiego6.com/story/Journali ... h-20130707

Wow, was not expecting that. The engine was actually farther than I first thought. Also I didn't know it was literally a brand new Mercedes, 2013 model.
It'd be interesting to know his calls/text/email/internet/movement/whereabouts leading to that moment, as well as any other possible video captures from 4am to the time of crash.
Would be interesting to know Mercedes text results on the make before they rolled out the car, the true distance of the engine from the car, actual speed he was going,
and of course what he was doing that night. Was he coming from a party/bar/mixer of some sort?

Another thing, is there any reports of newer Mercedes or similar cars freakishly accelerating out of nowhere?

Again I will register my dissatisfaction with the drinking/party/bar angle (not aimed at you 8bit just in general) does it really seem likely to any of you that a guy who sent an email 15 hours prior that he was being invesitgated by the FBI, was on a huge and dangerous story and needed to get off the radar, would then go out and party like its 1999?

Maybe my brain just doesnt work like everyone else but that to me, seems completely fucking ridiculous to even consider. And that is not to mention the guy said he was ten years sober and took it rather seriously.


The engine, while not directly BEHIND the car, was certainly NOT in front of it either, lets just agree that the engine seemingly was not where it should have been compared to impact and the direction it should have flown and landed as such. It seemed to have went somewhat in the semi opposite direction for some strange reason.

Of course it's ridiculous! I mean the guy sends an urgent email he needs to lie low then goes on a drinking/speed drive binge, unlikely. But in the interest of full investigation I guess that has to be looked at, but the moment I heard of the news and saw the facts surrounding it the notion of sabotage(to me at least) seemed the most likely.

[82_28]

Perhaps the fireworks malfunction in Semi Valley was used as psy-op cover since they already blew it?

The explosion felt like a sonic boom.

Danny Morales, 42, heard it crack through his ears and then he felt a sharp blow to his face. A piece of fireworks had hurtled through a crowd of Fourth of July revelers in Simi Valley and hit him between the eyes.

Blood poured down Morales' face. He looked for his family and friends. Like everyone else, they were sprinting for cover, desperate to get away from the staging area where fireworks were exploding into the crowd instead of into the sky.

The Morales family had staked out front-row seats for the fireworks show two days earlier. On Thursday night, their great views turned into a liability. Morales' sister-in-law saw a fireball flying straight toward her. The flames singed her hair. Several of Morales' cousins suffered minor burns. His brother, Victor Morales, 40, thought he was fine until he got home and noticed a welt on his side where debris had hit him.

In all, more than three dozen people were treated for injuries suffered at the fireworks show. They included a toddler and a 71-year-old.

Authorities on Friday were trying to determine what caused the accident. The chaos was captured in numerous cellphone videos. "Run, run, run, run!" a man can be heard yelling on one of them as explosions filled Rancho Santa Susana Community Park.

Simi Valley Police Cmdr. Blair Summey said that the incident began when at least one explosive detonated early inside its canister. That explosion caused a chain reaction that tipped over other canisters, firing them toward the crowd.

Summey said the fireworks exploded about five minutes into what was supposed to be a 25-minute show.

"These things were coming through low," Summey said. "They were skipping along the ground. Some of these projectiles, they were exploding as they were coming out of the canisters."

Authorities said that there were no indications of foul play and that officials have not opened a criminal investigation. The Simi Valley bomb squad deemed the area safe and workers from the pyrotechnic company — New York-based Bay Fireworks — were scheduled to remove the remaining explosives.

An estimated 10,000 people were watching the event, some heeding appeals from firefighters to attend professional pyrotechnic displays rather than light fireworks of their own.

Not far from the Morales' party of about 30, another onlooker, 16-year-old Josh Antonucci, was in a large group of spectators about 500 feet from the fireworks stand, close enough to see part of the staging area tip over and see fireworks begin shooting into the crowd.

Antonucci turned to run and a projectile struck him in the back. "It felt like a punch," he said. "I knew I just had to get away."

Antonucci became part of the crowd running to the park's edges and away from trouble. Dustin Fields, 22, who was recovering from a recent knee surgery, was trampled because he couldn't move quickly enough. Paramedics took him to a hospital, where he remained Friday morning, his father said.

On Friday, with the park still littered by barbecues, folding chairs and other personal items abandoned by fleeing revelers, authorities held a news conference to discuss the incident.

The Simi Valley Police Department, state fire marshal and Ventura County Fire Department are all investigating.

One major issue is whether spectators were a safe enough distance from the fireworks.

State regulations establish minimum standards for fireworks displays, but county authorities can impose additional conditions. The regulation states that the crowd must be 70 feet away for every one inch of a mortar shell's diameter. The largest mortar shells in Simi Valley were five inches, making the safe distance 350 feet, according to Mike LaPlant, deputy chief of the Ventura County Fire Department.

Authorities estimated that the closest spectators were 800 feet from the fireworks but stressed that they were still investigating. LaPlant said that buffer "saved many more injuries."

Bay Fireworks did not respond to additional requests for comment but issued a written apology. It said it was cooperating with investigators and would conduct its own "thorough and complete" investigation into the incident.

"Public safety has always been a major priority of Bay Fireworks," the statement said.

In 2008, during a show run by Bay Fireworks in New York, three spectators and two fireworks technicians sustained minor injuries when a chain-reaction blast knocked down a launch tube that discharged into the crowd, according to news reports at the time.

The same summer, a box of fireworks shells fell off a barge being used as a staging area for a Bay Fireworks show, causing the evacuation of a popular Long Island beach when dozens of the shells washed ashore. In another incident, three technicians had to be rescued from a Bay Fireworks barge that turned into a floating bonfire after flames ignited a rack of fireworks.

The Morales family was trying regroup Friday. Some were released from the hospital, others returned to the park to pick up belongings.

Coming to the fireworks show has been an annual tradition for 10 years.

Asked whether he planned to come back to the celebration next year, Danny Morales paused.

"Next year? I don't know," he said. Right now, "I don't even want to flick on a lighter."

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jul/05 ... s-20130706

I realize, way the fuck out there. But could be! Also the plane crash. Boeing 777. Connections when there aren't any are fun.