As though Takata needed more trouble, having already caused up to 15 deaths and the biggest vehicle recall in the history of vehicle recalls, it’s now in the news for setting off the equivalent of a huge bomb in Texas. Yes, a Takata inflator explosion times 14,000 rocked Texas recently. The incident occurred in Maverick County on August 22.
As though Takata needed more trouble, having already caused up to 15 deaths and the biggest vehicle recall in the history of vehicle recalls, it’s now in the news for setting off the equivalent of a huge bomb in Texas. Yes, a Takata inflator explosion times 14,000 rocked Texas recently. The incident occurred in Maverick County on August 22.
The Facts
A truck, subcontracted by Takata to deliver 14,000 ammonium nitrate-filled airbag inflators was en route from Del Rio, Texas to the Takata facility in Eagle Pass, which warehouses the company’s inflators that are made in Monclova, Mexico. Inflators from that plant are among those suspected of being defective.
The ammonium-nitrate inflators are the ones that have been spontaneously exploding, sending shrapnel into vehicle cabins in a manner similar to that of a Claymore anti-personnel land mine. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has previously stated that the ammonium nitrate inflators will be gradually taken out of production unless Takata can prove they’re safe. Um… Better luck next time, Takata.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the 2AM accident on U.S. Highway 277, according to Maverick County Sheriff Tom Schmerber. While the truck driver and a passenger escaped, two people in a passing car suffered injuries and two more were hurt.
Residents located two miles from the site of the explosion were calling in reporting holes in their roofs and broken windows. Those closer to the site were afraid to come near on tractors or horseback for fear of triggering more explosions from the inflators that were thrown all over the nearby fields and roads.
The worst part of the story is that this explosion caused one horrific death. Again, according to Sheriff Schmerber, “It created a big crater. It burned and killed a woman in a house 30 feet away. Her body was completely disintegrated, but they did manage to find two teeth so they could identify her.” Two teeth were all that was left of this innocent woman, identified as Lucila Robles. And Takata is still trying to tell NHTSA that ammonium nitrate is a safe propellant?
Sure it is. Just like Agent Orange is a safe mosquito repellant.
The Response
U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has instructed NHTSA to investigate because he’s “concerned about it.” Really? “Concerned about it?” How about enraged? How about appalled? How about forgetting phasing out ammonium nitrate as a propellant and just outright banning it? “Concerned about it.” Well, one should be happy that the government is at least taking notice.
Meanwhile, Takata issued a statement, as corporations do when they accidentally set off a “big bomb” as Sheriff Schmerber called it, in a populated area. The statement included the following:
- The company’s safety procedures for transporting its products meet or exceed those required by regulations.
- “Our thoughts are with the family of the woman who died as a result of this accident, and with the four people injured.”
- “Takata immediately deployed personnel to the site and has been working closely with the subcontractor and the appropriate authorities to investigate this incident.”
- The company doesn’t think the accident will “have any impact on our ability to meet commitments we’ve made to customers.” This last from spokesperson Jared Levy, in an e-mail.
The “appropriate authorities,” in addition to the Sheriff’s office, include the Texas Department of Public Safety (the leader of the investigation), the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, according to e-mail from Clark Pettig, spokesperson for the DoT.
The investigation is focused on finding out if U.S. safety regulations were violated. Mr. Pettig also said, “Every possible factor or factors — including the safety compliance of the motor carrier, the handling of the cargo by the shipper, its packaging, how the truck was placarded, as well as the truck’s routing — and all other aspects will be thoroughly investigated.”
As if to add insult to injury (upon injury, upon injury, upon injury), Takata is on the hunt for a financial sponsor. It would like this sponsor to help improve its business as well as assist it with the potentially billions of dollars’ in liabilities the company is facing due to the defective inflators.
Good luck, Takata, you’re going to need it. Personally, I think it’s time to close up shop and direct whatever money the company has left after liquidation into covering its competitors’ expenses for replacing the defective inflators with something that won’t kill people and obliterate home from 30 feet away.
I know there’s precious little chance of that happening, but one can still hope.
Sources:
Fatal Takata Truck Blast Was ‘Like a Big Bomb,’ Sheriff Says
Truck Carrying Takata Air Bags Explodes in Texas, Killing 1 and Injuring 4
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