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1996 DODGE NEON — AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

crash3 injured · 396752 · 2003-03-06

Vehicle

Make
DODGE
Model
NEON
Year
1996
Manufacturer
Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Component
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
3
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
Yes
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

IN AUGUST OF 1999, DUE TO A HEALTH PROBLEM (UNKNOWN TO ME), I FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL OF MY 1996 NEON. I AWOKE IN TIME TO FORCE THE CAR OVER TO A GRASSY MEDIAN BETWEEN TWO PARTS OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. THE CAR FLEW TWENTY OR SO FEET IN THE AIR, MAKING IMPACT WITH THE GRASS, AND CONTINUING WITHOUT POWER STEERING, ETC., FOR APPROXIMATELY. 300 FEET. WHILE IN THE AIR, MY LEFT ARM BROKE THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. WHEN THE CAR LANDED DEAD ON TO THE GRASS, THE AIR BAGS BURST, BUT "WILTED" DOWN, THEY DID NOT COME STRAIGHT OUT AT ME AS NORMAL, BUT DOWN, AFTER EXPLODING. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL FOR A CAR IN THIS KIND OF ACCIDENT, AND THAT THE CAR MAY HAVE BEEN IN A PRIOR ACCIDENT, OR THE AIR BAGS MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED. I RECEIVED CHEMICAL BURNS ON THE INNER PARTS OF THE ARMS, AND DEVELOPED A LUNG PROBLEM DUE TO THE INHALED CHEMICALS. SINCE THE AIRBAGS EXPLODED IMPROPERLY, MY TWO YOUNG DAUGHTERS WERE FRIGHTENED EVEN MORE, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN HAD BEEN SHOT. MY CONCERN IS THAT OTHER AIR BAGS MAY REACT IN THE SAME WAY, EVEN IF THERE IS NO FRONT IMPACT. I HAD NOTIFIED MY MECHANICS IN THE EBENSBURG AND CRESSON, PA AREAS, WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, AS WELL AS THE AMBULANCE DRIVERS, AND ANY OTHERS I COULD ABOUT THIS SITUATION. I ALSO NOTIFIED THE HOSTS OF CAR TALK. I HAVE NOT HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING ELSEWHERE, BUT I DID NOTICE THAT AIR BAGS WERE NOT MENTIONED ON YOUR WEBSITE, AND FELT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO NOTIFY THE PUBLI

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10008498
Machine
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