The Death of Michael Hastings

[ZohsixGT5]

I think I would like to hack into my ex gf's car and randomly deploy the airbag. While she was stationary of course.

 

[Pupik]

I think I would like to hack into my ex gf's car amd randomly deploy the airbag. While she was stationary of course.

Mostly, just removing the driver's sun visor mirror is enough frustration...

 

[Northstar]

I think it was a government conspiracy as he was about to reveal the real identity of the CIA...

 

[Crash]

If they controlled the car remotely, even if it was possible, how would they see where they were going?

Like how James Bond did in Tomorrow Never Dies. There's all these secret cameras on your car so that the CIA can see and watch everything. Didn't you know? They really want to watch the same movies and TV shows that you watch with you, only through these super secret cameras, or something like that.

I think I would like to hack into my ex gf's car and randomly deploy the airbag. While she was stationary of course.

Is it because she needs airbag augmentation?

 

[niky]

I just put that as possibility there as I read an article on Jalopnik.

What could be controlled with an hacked ECU ?
ABS-ESP : you could break a wheel down which acts as steering in a very harsh way. The break circuit itself no.
E-Accelerator : yes . Wired accel. no.
Steering : While companies like Nissan (Juke) have steering by wire, the also have a tradition steering column as backup. So for car noadays no. In the future with only drive by wire, yes.

This is all very theoretical, but it can be done. You still need to lay hands on the car first though.

The question like asked in the US congress : Could some kid from India hack your car? , is still no for me. But a tinkered ECU, yes.

As for this case or any other case of wierd coincidence, we will, might never know.
I just think with what they do and did in the past, official, un official but proven, it can be. I surely don't trust them or would you bet your life on them?

Accelerator: Yes, but punting the car into neutral will stop that, whatever you're driving. And unless you disable the brakes, too, no dice. Brakes always trump accelerator.

Steering: Unless the car had self-parking capacity and variable ratio steering, it would be difficult to remotely steer it.

Stability control can be tampered with, but it's a reactive system with necessary inputs and parameters. For a car to suddenly enter a VSA-caused turn into a tree would require a whole lot of coding, and it would still require an external device to send an erroneous sensor signal to induce the car to enter a VSA-caused turn.

Actually... reprogramming would be too involved. Just splice a device into the yaw and wheel-speed sensors to convince the car that it was entering an oversteer situation, causing it to brake and swerve in the other direction. This is about the only workable idea I can see being effective on a late-model C-Class. And again, there's no assurance of a fiery crash.

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Without a "follower" intimidating him to drive faster and possibly off the road, the only workable theory is that he was either drugged or... he was drunk and/or sleepy.

The former carries little assurance that he'd have an accident that big (or have an accident at all... he could simply fall asleep at a stoplight), the latter, he could have done himself.

A car crash is too spectacular, too visible.

Much simpler to simply give him a heart attack. Slip something in his coffee or food. Have it happen while he's at home with his family. The conspiracy theorists would still be a-twitter, but the noise would be less.

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The aftermath of the crash itself doesn't strike me as particularly suspicious. I've seen an A4 wrap itself around a pole and shuck its engine out a similar distance. The question will always be the primary cause.

 

[Maccer_42]

If we're talking conspiracy theory's here what about the possibility he faked his death, doesn't it say in one of those videos on the first page he e-mailed a friend or someone that he's "going off the radar for a bit" or close to that, whats more "off the radar" than having everyone think you're dead?

But yeah.. seems more like an accident caused by the speed he was driving.

Or maybe he crashed on purpose in attempt to kill himself.

 

[wfooshee]

I bet there was an EMT who saw it and did nothing.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

If they controlled the car remotely, even if it was possible, how would they see where they were going?

The CIA would obviously use the team of psychic wonders to just give directions to the operative via their "mind's eye!"

 

[VolkswagenX]

Wow, somebody leaking classified info died in an accident. I,M SHOCKED! Stuf like this never ever ever happens. Hope he did not have any classified info with him in the car? Because it burned down and all...

 

[Monatsende]

FBI, CIA, NSA,...
They are watching you all. I swear.