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

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  (#8) Takata Airbag Malfunction

  In March 2016, Huma Hanif, 17, of Texas, was driving her 2002 Honda Civic when she rear-ended a car in front of her. The airbag deployed, sending shrapnel flying into the young girl's neck. The teen died from her injuries.

  Honda released a statement to Buzzfeed after the accident that read, "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family of the driver during this difficult time."

  The motor company has recalled millions of vehicles over the airbag issue, however, Hanif's family claims they never received a notice prior to the fatal accident. 
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  (#12) Teens Died After Faulty Ignition

  While the Chevy Cobalt's ignition switch issue has been the cause of many deaths, this case stood out due to GM's response to the accident. 

  In 2006, Natasha Weigel, 18, and Amy Rademaker, 15, both died when their Chevy Cobalt hit a tree. Amy was in the passenger seat, while Natasha was sitting in the back. The accident was caused by an ignition switch failure, compounded by the fact that the airbags did not deploy,

  While the accident killed both teens, GM only recognized Amy's death in a lawsuit, claiming that Natasha's wouldn't have been affected by the airbag issue. Amy's mother, Margie Besaku, told CNN Money, "GM is trying to pass this off as an airbag problem, and it's not."
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  (#4) Defective Ignition Switch

  It took General Motors over 10 years to fix faulty ignition switches in their vehicles, which were responsible for at least 124 fatalities. GM eventually recalled over 30 million cars, which would shut off while driving and fail to deploy airbags.

  GM's failure to respond quickly to vehicle issues led to tragedy in 2010. On Brooke Melton's 29th birthday, the Chevy Cobalt she was driving stalled, spun out into another vehicle, and flipped 15 feet into a creek. Melton died from the crash.

  Melton's family sued GM over the defect, which led to the recall of millions of cars and ultimately saved the lives of other drivers.
  
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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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  (#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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  (#13) Fatal Fender Bender

  Carlos Solis, 35, of Houston, was leaving his residence when the front end of his car was struck by another vehicle. The impact set off the airbag of his 2002 Honda Accord, sending shrapnel flying into his neck.

  Solis bled to death as family attempted to save him. His family field a lawsuit against airbag company Takata.

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