AUTOS
Police: Australian likely killed by Takata air bag
Associated Press
Detroit — Police in Australia say a faulty Takata air bag likely killed a man in a car crash near Sydney.
New South Wales police say the man was struck in the neck by a small fragment and died at the crash scene in a Sydney suburb.
The unidentified 58-year-old man was driving a 2007 Honda CR-V SUV that collided with a Toyota Celica at an intersection on July 13.
Honda says it recalled 2007 CR-Vs in Australia to replace a defective Takata driver’s air bag inflator. It was unclear whether the man’s vehicle had been repaired.
If authorities confirm that the inflator caused his death, it would be the 18th worldwide caused by Takata inflators.
The inflators can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and spewing shrapnel.