Overview
- Mount Vernon police said they have no record of an arrest matching the viral claims about a Sammy Hagar impersonator.
- AXS TV cited the police confirmation and labeled the tale an internet hoax, noting that many outlets removed or revised their stories.
- Earlier reports had alleged a 58-year-old named Ronnie Putnam sang “I Can’t Drive 55” and flashed a homemade “Sammy Hagar, Rock God” ID before being arrested.
- The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Hagar was in Cabo San Lucas for his annual birthday shows, contradicting the Illinois account.
- The story spread widely after being carried by a Rockford TV outlet and shared across aggregation sites and social media before verification unwound it.