Car Dealer Dies After Airbag Unexpectedly Deploys During Inspection On Mira Road

A 25-year-old second-hand car dealer died on Thursday afternoon near Pleasant Park in Kashimira, Mira Road, after a vehicle's steering wheel airbag unexpectedly deployed and struck him in the neck during a routine inspection.

The victim, Mohit Suresh Soni, a resident of Tiara Hills in Mira Road, was examining the car by the roadside before accepting it for sale to a third party when the incident occurred.

According to Rajendra Kamble, senior police inspector of the Kashimira police station, Soni had pulled over to examine the vehicle when the steering wheel airbag suddenly inflated. As the airbag deployed, its cover slammed into the right side of Soni's neck with tremendous force.

The impact caused a grievous injury and severe haemorrhaging. Kamble stated that the impact proved fatal.

Passers-by who witnessed the accident alerted the police. Officers rushed Soni to the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Government Hospital in Bhayandar, where doctors examined him and declared him dead on arrival.

The police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR), and assistant police inspector Panmand is leading the investigation into the case. Soni’s brother, Kuldip, has urged the police to conduct a detailed inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death.

Investigators have sought the assistance of the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to examine the vehicle for any mechanical or electrical defects that may have caused the airbag to deploy. Police are also tracing the original owner of the car to ascertain if the vehicle had previously shown any faults or if any similar incidents had been reported.