Eighth U.S. Death Linked To Takata Airbag Rupture

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Wednesday that an eighth U.S. death is linked to a faulty Takata airbag inflator, marking the first reported death since April and the ninth worldwide. The auto safety agency also said it named a former U.S. Justice Department official to oversee the massive recalls of airbags and the Japanese parts firm’s compliance with a settlement. NHTSA spokesman Gordon Trowbridge told reporters on a conference call that the death took place in July in a recalled used 2001 Honda Accord coupe near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.