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Video Of Michael Hastings Car Crash, Neighbors Trying To Douse Flames
A neighbor who was among those first on the scene of Michael Hastings' fatal accident lamented he was unable to save him from the fiery crash.
Shaul Raigorodsky confirmed to LAist he was among those—seen in news videos —who tried to extinguish the terrible flames with his garden hose, to no avail.
Raigorodsky and his wife Mila were asleep when they heard "a very loud crash." Mila says that there was "a boom and then a flash. The flash was so bright, it lit up the room," even though their bedroom curtains were drawn.
Shaul says he put on his pants and ran down to the scene to try to put out the fire. "It exploded on impact," he concluded. The fire were so intense, he couldn't even see if anyone was in the car, but he tried to douse the flames anyway.
"It was completely engulfed," said his wife. He estimated that the fire department arrived between 5 and 7 minutes after the crash. They'd both viewed the video of what was likely Hastings' car speeding through the nearby intersection at Santa Monica Boulevard and Highland. Shaul said he thought the car was "going at least 100 mph." They said their street often has late-night crashes, mostly DUIs, but this was the first time they were so affected by an accident.
Related:
Coroner Confirms Michael Hastings Died In Fiery Hollywood Crash
Journalist Michael Hastings Dies In Car Accident In L.A.
Driver Dies In Fiery, Early Morning Crash In Hollywood
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