TruckingIndustry.news

1 Dead, 4 Injured After Truck Carrying Takata Airbags Explodes

by Jana Ritter - Published: 8/29/2016

A tractor-trailer hauling Takata air bag propellants exploded on a Texas highway last week. The explosion was so big it engulfed a passing vehicle, killed a woman in a nearby home and injured four people including the drivers and passengers of both vehicles. While the official cause of the incident has not been determined, it is said that the truck driver failed to negotiate a curve and crashed, igniting the explosion.

                                                                 Takata truck explodes

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The tragic explosion occurred in the early morning hours on August 22 at around 2:15 a.m. on U.S. 277 near Quemado, TX. The trailer-truck was hauling air bag propellants carrying air bag detonators and blasting agents to Takata’s storage facility in Eagle Pass and was being operated by a subcontractor’s driver. According to authorities, the driver lost control of the vehicle on a curve and crashed. The Texas Department of Public Safety said the fiery explosion was massive enough to engulf a passing car in flames and reach a nearby home, killing 67-year-old Lucila Robles who was sleeping inside. Maverick County SheriffTom Schmerber said that the department had led a difficult two-day search for Ms. Robles, which ended when family members found her remains.

                                                                Takata truck explosion kills woman

The explosion also caused multiple fires, damaging 10 nearby houses and debris was found as far as 2 miles from the site. The truck driver and a passenger, along with the driver and a passenger in the passing vehicle, were all injured in the explosion and taken to a nearby hospital. Jared Levy, a spokesperson from Takata Corp. told media that the truck had been carrying ammonium nitrate, which is the explosive chemical used in several types of airbag inflators. He also said the company is working with authorities in investigating the crash and explosion.β€œ Takata has strict safety procedures relating to the transportation of its products that meet or exceed all regulatory requirements. Our thoughts are with the family of the woman who died as a result of this accident, and with the four people injured,” said Levy.

The company is already is in the midst of the biggest automotive recall in U.S. history for faulty airbags being linked to 11 deaths and over 100 injuries worldwide.


Derek Booher
Derek Booher
I use to run a dedicated lane from Eagle Pass, TX to Columbus, OH hauling the airbags, never had issues with them even in the 115*F weather! It was even more hot in the trailer, at times reaching 150*F. I drove that lane for 3 yrs and ran my last run for them in April then switched to a different company! Never really knew what type of damage it would result in if the airbags had ever malfunctioned/detonated in the trailer! Very scary to now reflect on that after reading this! Prayers for all involved!
Penelope Townsend
Penelope Townsend
This really has nothing to do with company who makes airbags. Guy lost controle he was carrying explosive goods. Then big bang. Very bad that someone died.
Kevin Richardson
Kevin Richardson
Seriously? You don't even know what your talking about.
Penelope Townsend
Penelope Townsend
Really would they have blamed the munitions company if he had been carrying munitions.
Penelope Townsend
Penelope Townsend
Or any other deadly hazmat for that matter. If he hadn't gone off the road it wouldnt have exploded.
Lee Dickey
Lee Dickey
I thought the same thing. Takata had nothing to do with the wreck if everything was packaged and loaded properly. Bad deal either way.
Ronnie Mills
Ronnie Mills
If a airbag malfunction it do that.
Nicholas Brewer
Nicholas Brewer
Even if an airbag explodes (worse case for airbags) VERY loud boom then loss of air and you pull over, you still got time to react to it...and not lose control from freaking out and over correcting. If just one air bag blew (unlikely even at max weight that more than one at the same time would blow) you MIGHT have a load shift, depending on the load and the securement job done. Doubtful that a faulty air bag caused this, even more doubtful that an airbag had an extreme fault (like exploding). I've witnessed 2 blow at the same time on a dump truck before...only time I've ever heard of such a thing happening...caused by Jerry rigging the leveler at an incorrect level causing them to overfill, 30 minutes later (if that), B BOOM. Scary sounding but there are 3 others all next to each other that will support the weight long enough to pull over without being damaged IF one of them explodes like that for whatever reason.
Mike Heuer
Mike Heuer
Read the article stupid!
Kevin Barr
Kevin Barr
Funny how some people reading this have the mindset it is about the trailer/vehicle airbags that blew. The guy was carry a load of material that MAKES airbags for autos,and those chemicals exploded.
Kerry Norm Brobst
Kerry Norm Brobst
Yeah after the driver fucked up !!!
Larry L. Doub
Larry L. Doub
I hate airbags, never liked messing with them when I worked in a salvage yard, in or out of a car, even more so deadly out of a car, thieves are killed high dollar steering wheels with airbags in them when they go off while they are carrying them
Catheryn Curry
Catheryn Curry
Prayers to everyone involved & prayers to the family of the deceased. πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ». Sorry for your loss.
Char King
Char King
Prayers!
Todd Peyton
Todd Peyton
If you all would read the story it really has nothing to do with the air bags causing this explosion other then its used as a blasting agent in air bags. He was hauling Ammonium nitrate which is ammonia and nitric acid. The same shit they used in the Oklahoma federal bldg bombing and the explosion in Texas a couple year agothat killed 580 people .It nothing to f*** with
Derek Booher
Derek Booher
Tiffany Booher Jahron Buddenbohn glad I didn't experience this hauling the airbags for Takata!
Tiffany Booher
Tiffany Booher
Oh damn!!
Kerry Norm Brobst
Kerry Norm Brobst
So it really has nothing to do with Takata but with another driver not being in control of his vehicle once again
Ken Alan Draper
Ken Alan Draper
Sad thing is that Takata has a monopoly on airbag production.
Nick Kozlik
Nick Kozlik
They need to take airbags out of cars. They are not safe, or as affective as they lead you to believe.
David Budrus
David Budrus
Same shit rubber duck was hauling in Convoy
Marty Pryor Jr.
Marty Pryor Jr.
Dang what a freak accident!
Griff Ace
Griff Ace
One hell of a bump
Nicholas G Tomcheck
Nicholas G Tomcheck
Ya get what ya pay for invest in shit end up with shit
Carol Owens
Carol Owens
We were just discussing these on a group I belong to!!!
Susan Traweek Allen
Susan Traweek Allen
That's so sad!
Kenneth Jahnke
Kenneth Jahnke
I guess we know the airbags worked
Marty Burggraf
Marty Burggraf
Unbelievable
LM Moore
LM Moore
Holy Hiroshima Batman
Terry Hill
Terry Hill
Buy American.