A routine inspection of a second-hand car ended in a freak accident on Thursday when a 25-year-old car dealer died after the vehicle s steering wheel airbag deployed suddenly and struck him in the...
A routine inspection of a second-hand car ended in a freak accident on Thursday when a 25-year-old car dealer died after the vehicle’s steering wheel airbag deployed suddenly and struck him in the neck on Mira Road.
The deceased, identified as Mohit Suresh Soni, a resident of Tiara Hills in Mira Road, was inspecting the car before accepting it for sale to a third party when the incident occurred near Pleasant Park in Kashimira on Thursday afternoon.
According to Rajendra Kamble, senior police inspector of Kashimira police station, Soni had pulled over by the roadside to examine the vehicle when the steering wheel airbag unexpectedly deployed. As the airbag inflated, its cover slammed into the right side of his neck with tremendous force, causing a grievous injury and severe haemorrhaging.
Passers-by alerted the police, who rushed Soni to Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Government Hospital in Bhayandar. Doctors examined him and declared him dead on arrival.
Airbags are designed to inflate within milliseconds at speeds of up to 200 mph to protect occupants during a collision. However, experts say they can cause serious or even fatal injuries if they deploy unexpectedly or if a person is seated too close to the steering wheel or is in an improper position.
Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), and assistant police inspector Panmand is investigating the case. Soni’s brother, Kuldip, has urged the police to conduct a detailed inquiry into the circumstances leading to his brother’s death.
Investigators have also sought the assistance of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to examine the vehicle for any mechanical defect. Police are tracing the car’s original owner to ascertain whether the vehicle had previously shown any fault or whether any similar incident had been reported.