Random People Who Died from Catastrophic Car Malfunctions (16 items)

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  (#10) Carbon Monoxide Deaths

  Pasquale and Rina Fontanini were unaware of the danger accumulating in their garage as they slept. The pair had a 2013 Lincoln MKS, which included a key-less ignition common in newer vehicles. Unfortunately, the ignition was triggered and turned the car on.

  Carbon monoxide filled the garage and made its way into the couple's home. The pair died from poisoning. The tragedy brought attention to an alarming rise in key-less entry malfunction deaths - at least 12 have been counted.

  Sean Kane, founder of Safety Research & Strategies, told the Chicago Tribune, "Keyless ignition has upended the relationship between the driver and the car... It's created a scenario where you can easily leave a vehicle running and not know it."
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  (#14) Jeep Fire Deaths

  Remington Walden was only four years old when a car malfunction took his life. He was riding in the back of his aunt's 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee when it was struck from behind. The impact caused a gas tank explosion, setting the vehicle into flames.

  The Walden family was awarded $150 million from Fiat Chrysler. Two years prior to the lawsuit, Fiat recalled many older model Jeeps with rear-mounted gas tanks. The tanks were responsible for at least 75 post-crash fire deaths.
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  (#3) Paul Walker

  • Actor

  The "Fast and Furious" actor met an untimely death when he and friend, Roger Rodas, took a Porsche Carrera GT out for a drive in 2013. The vehicle smashed into a tree and a lamp post before bursting into flames.

  Both Walker's daughter (Meadow) and father filed separate wrongful death lawsuits against Porsche, claiming the car company failed to install certain safety features which would have helped to save the actor's life.

  Meadow's lawsuit claims her father survived the crash, but burned to death after being trapped due to Porsche defects. The lawsuit is still ongoing.  
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  (#15) Malfunctioning Gas Pedal

  Trina Harris's 2009 Toyota Corolla wouldn't brake as she approached a stop sign. Her vehicle sped through the intersection and smashed into a wall, killing her instantly.

  Harris's husband sued Toyota, claiming his wife's death was due to a malfunctioning gas pedal. The lawsuit stated that the company didn't act soon enough to fix the problem.
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  (#7) Gas Tank Explosion

  Lily Gray was driving her Ford Pinto down the California Freeway when her car was hit from behind. The impact caused the Pinto's gas tank to explode, engulfing the car in flames. Gray died, and her passenger, Richard Grimshaw, was severely injured.

  Grimshaw filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Company. He was awarded over $127 million in damages. 
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  (#1) Anton Yelchin

  • Actor

  Twenty-seven-year-old Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin died at his home in Los Angeles in 2016 after being struck by his own car. He was standing behind his Jeep Grand Cherokee when it suddenly rolled backward down his steep driveway and pinned him to his brick mailbox and security gate. Investigators said that the car was in neutral when the accident occurred, although they weren't sure why he got out of the car. It turns out, the Grand Cherokee was the subject of a recall. Other owners filed complaints and cited injuries, though Yelchin's death was the first fatality.
  

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