The death count related to faulty Takata air bags has risen to eight in the United States after a teen driver died a few days after a car crash in July near Pittsburgh, said federal transportation officials today. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) only learned about the July crash when an attorney for the family of the victim contacted them last week. The explosive air bag, thought to be responsible for the death, was made by auto parts maker Takata, according to Newsplex.
The teen was driving a relative's 2001 Honda Accord Coupe in which the driver's air bag deployed and ruptured. The driver was hospitalized for several days before he died, according to NHTSA spokesman Gordon Trowbridge. The NHTSA said the death is likely related to a Takata defect, but tests are still being done on the vehicle.
"This young person's death is tragic and reflects why we're working so hard to get these vehicles off the road," added Trowbridge.
"We are working in close collaboration with Honda and NHTSA to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic situation," said Takata spokesman Jared Levy, according to Detroit News. "Takata's number one priority is the safety of the driving public."
The NHTSA officials also expanded the number of U.S. vehicles with Takata air bags being recalled, appointing former Justice Department official John Buretta to oversee the company's compliance with the recalls.
While this was the eighth death attributed to faulty Takata air bags in the U.S., it is the ninth overall. The problem is the air bag's inflators can explode, sending shrapnel into both drivers and passengers, according to News Net 5. The U.S. has recalled 23 million of the air bag inflators from 19 million vehicles sold to both auto and truck makers.
The repairs done to the recalled vehicles with faulty inflators has increased, with 27 percent of the driver's side air bags repaired and 26 percent of the passenger air bags replaced as of Dec. 4.
"We have a great big problem here and it's going to take a long time to get it fixed," said Trowbridge.
