SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
Severity
Deaths
0
Injured
2
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No
Narrative
5/21/96, MY SON AND I WERE IMPACTED AT LEFT FRONT OF OUR 1996 PLY VOYAGER VAN BY A 1987 CHRYSLER. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEY LOCKED UP, WE SLID SLIGHTHLY TO THE RIGHT SIDE -- THE FORCE FROM THE IMPACT WAS ENOUGH TO SHATTER THE TRANSMISSION HOUSING, THE STARTER, DAMAGE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING, AND CRUMPLED THE FRONT END IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE PASSENGER DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED. THE SHOULDER HARNESSES LOCKED UP, BUT NEITHER AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS ALEGEDLY LOOKED AT BY CHRYSLER ENGINEERS AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT "THE SENSOR HAD NOT BEEN HIT"... MY SON AND I BOTH SUSTAINED PERMANENT INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT. MY QUESTION, WITH THIS SPEED, AND THIS FRONT END DAMAGE, WHY DID THE BAGS NOT DEPLOY? I DON'T BUY NOT HITTING THE SENSOR. I'VE READ REPORT AFTER REPORT IDENTIFYING THE SENSOR AS DEPLOYING AT 8MPH... THIS ACCIDENT WAS SERIOUS. LAW ENFORCEMENT AT THE SCENE SAID 5MPH FASTER AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A FATALITY.( DOT NUMBER: )