War correspondent Michael Hastings may have been using marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder before his death , but drug use does n't appear to have been a factor in his fatal car accident , according to his autopsy report . Hastings , 33 , likely died within seconds when his Mercedes-Benz slammed into a tree in Los Angeles on June 18 , the Los Angeles County Coroner 's Office found . He was best known for a 2010 Rolling Stone profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal , then the U.S. commander in Afghanistan , that led to McChrystal being sacked . Hastings had been using medical marijuana , `` believed as prescribed for PTSD as decedent was a war journalist , '' the report states . Small amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine residues were found in Hastings ' blood after the accident , suggesting `` prior , but not recent '' usage , the report states . Hastings ' family was attempting to persuade him to enter a rehabilitation program , it adds . But drug use was `` unlikely contributory to death , '' a statement from the coroner 's office said .
Michael Hastings likely died instantly , autopsy report states . Drugs residues in his system do n't appear to have played a role in the crash . Hastings was known for a Rolling Stone piece that got a top general sacked . He had been using medical marijuana to treat PTSD , the report states .