U.S. says maker of airbag parts in N.L. death is stonewalling, threatens fines

The U.S.government is accusing an airbag parts maker of stonewalling an investigation into a fatal Julycar crash in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is threatening a large fine over the lack of co-operation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents made public this week that ARC Automotive Inc. of Knoxville, Tennessee, has missed deadlines and failed to report crash information and test results as required by law.

Email and telephone messages left for ARC were not immediately returned.

• 1st recorded Canadian fatality from airbag inflator rupture under investigation

The agency began seeking information in August after an ARC airbag inflator ruptured and killed a woman in Newfoundland and Labrador.Authorities have said thedriver of a 2009 Hyundai Elantra involved in a two-vehicle collisionwas killed on July 8 when the airbag inflator exploded and fired metal shrapnel into the passenger compartment of the car.

As many as 8 million ARC inflators are under scrutiny.

The investigation is separate from one that resulted in the recall of 69 million inflators in the U.S. made by Takata Corp.