WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed following the fatal crash of a teenager, which has raised alarms about dangerous airbag inflators.
Authorities confirmed that on July 30, 2025, 17-year-old Alexia De La Rosa was involved in a minor vehicle collision when her driver's side airbag deployed explosively, sending shrapnel and resulting in her death. The crash occurred in West Valley City, where witnesses reported that speed may have contributed; however, no injuries or significant damage were noted in the other vehicles involved.
The lawsuit, filed by Morgan and Morgan, targets Auto Savvy, a national used car dealer, alleging that the company sold De La Rosa's family a 2019 Hyundai Sonata featuring counterfeit airbag inflators. Reports indicate that Alexia's mother purchased the vehicle as a birthday gift, believing it to be in good condition.
Andrew Parker Felix, the lead attorney on the case, stated that the family received no warning about the substandard safety equipment. “You essentially get an explosion of jagged metal shot at your face and neck at hundreds of miles an hour,” he said, highlighting the gravity of the defect.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued warnings about Chinese replacement airbag inflators, suggesting that thousands may be on the roads and emphasizing the importance of verifying vehicle histories, especially for those with salvage or rebuilt titles. The agency has documented 10 crashes linked to these faulty inflators resulting in serious injuries and fatalities.