Parked car airbag deployment kills 25-year-old Mohit Soni in Mira Road
A 25-year-old car dealer died on Wednesday after an airbag in a stationary car's steering wheel unexpectedly deployed on the roadside in Mira Road (East), Mumbai.
The victim, Mohit Soni, a resident of Tiara Hills in Mira Road (East), was inspecting the parked vehicle when the plastic casing of the airbag flew off and struck him in the neck, causing a fatal injury.
According to the police, a passerby noticed Soni sitting inside the vehicle with his T-shirt soaked in blood. The passerby alerted local residents, who then informed the police.
A team from the Kashimira police station rushed to the spot, pulled Soni out of the vehicle, and took him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Assistant Police Inspector SS Kashid said Soni suffered a deep cut on the right side of his neck after the airbag reportedly deployed suddenly and the plastic cover flew off and struck him hard. Kashid noted that Soni appeared to have lost a large amount of blood and may have become unconscious immediately. Because there was no one around at the time, the bleeding proved fatal.
Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Kamble said a preliminary inspection of the vehicle found no signs of a collision or external damage. The car was stationary and did not experience any impact from the outside. The steering wheel airbag appeared to have deployed on its own.
A forensic team visited the spot to collect blood samples and other evidence from inside the vehicle. The Kashimira police have registered an accidental death report and launched an investigation.
The police have also informed the Regional Transport Office, which is currently examining the vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems to determine what triggered the airbag deployment.
Additionally, investigators plan to seek a technical report from the vehicle manufacturer. An investigating officer stated that they are awaiting both the forensic and technical reports to establish the exact sequence of events and determine if a mechanical or electrical defect caused the deployment.
According to investigators, the car is about 15 years old but reportedly has a valid fitness certificate.
