NHTSA Complaint #10171483 — 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT

I HAVE A 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT, THAT IS/WAS DRIVEN BY MY SON WHO WAS ON HIS WAY HOME FROM WORK. THE HIGHWAY HE WAS DRIVING ON HAS A SPEED LIMIT OF 65 MPH, WITH A LENIENCY OF GOING 70 MPH. WELL THERE IS CONSTRUCTION OF REPAVING THE HIGHWAY, WELL NOT ALL OF THE REPAVING WAS DONE ESPECIALLY GETTING ONTO THE OFF RAMP WHICH HAS A HIGH 2-3 INCH DROP OFF OF ASPHALT. APPROX. 1/4 MILE OF THE HIGHWAY GETTING ONTO THE OFF RAMP WHICH WAS NOT PAVED COMPLETELY STILL HAVING THE 2-3 INCH DROP OFF OF ASPHALT. WHILE MY SON WAS CROSSING OVER TO GET ONTO THE OFF RAMP, THE PAVED DROP OFF GRABBED ONE OR BOTH OF THE LEFT DRIVER TIRES, WHICH CAUSED A STEERING AND CONTROL PROBLEM TO CAUSE HIM TO OVER CORRECT ONTO A GRASSY DIRT AREA ON HIS RIGHT. HE HIT A TIRE MARK THAT WAS LEFT THERE FROM OTHER ACCIDENTS IN THE SAME AREA WHILE THE DIRT WAS WET. AS HE HIT THIS PREVIOUS TIRE MARK, HE ROLLED THE CAR THREE TIMES. HE WAS WEARING HIS SEAT BELT THANK GOD, AND HAVING HIS SEAT SLIGHTLY LEANED BACK THE SEAT BELT LOCKED AND PREVENTED HIM FROM HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL. HOWEVER, THE 2006 PONTIAC TORRENT HAS A ROLLOVER SENSOR THAT THE CAR HAS AS PART OF THE SECURITY PACKAGE, AS WELL AS ONSTAR. AS THE CAR ROLLED THE SENSOR DID NOT SENSE THE CAR ROLLING WHICH RESULTED IN NOT ONE OF THE AIR BAGS THIS CAR HAS WAS EVER DEPLOYED AT THE TIME OF CAR ROLLING TO PROTECT MY SON, WHICH WOULD BE DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS AND SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE HEAD LINER HANGING AND THE AIR BAGS STILL ROLLED UP ON THE INSIDE. AND ONSTAR NEVER DETECTED THE ACCIDENT TO GET EMERGENCY HELP FOR MY SON. A BYSTANDER CALLED FOR HELP. THANKS TO GOD MY SON WAS ABLE TO WALK A WAY FROM HIS CAR WITH MILD INJURIES FROM HIM WEARING HIS SEAT BELT IN SPITE OF THE AIR BAGS AND ONSTAR NOT WORKING. THE PARAMEDICS WERE SURPRISED FROM LOOKING AT THE DAMAGE OF HIS CAR THAT MY SON WAS ABLE TO GET HIMSELF OUT AND WALK AWAY THANKS TO THE SEAT BELT. AS FOR THE CAR IT'S TOTALED BEYOND REPAIR. *NM