Honda has confirmed that a Takata air bag inflator ruptured during in a Jan. 18 crash in Texas that killed a driver of a 2000 Accord.
Before the incident, which occurred near Houston, Takata air bags had been linked to at least five deaths, according to Reuters.
"American Honda has confirmed that the Takata driver's airbag inflator ruptured in the crash of a 2002 Honda Accord on Jan. 18, 2015 in Houston, Texas," Honda said in statement, according to Automotive News. "This crash resulted in the death of the driver."
Safety regulators in the U.S. are working hard to make sure everyone is aware about the defective Takata air bag inflators, which can rupture and spray metal fragments inside the vehicle. There are still a lot of people using vehicles with potentially defective air bags around the country however.
Honda issued a statement last week regarding the fatal crash, but failed to confirm if the inflator ruptured during the incident.
"The incident cited involved a vehicle that had been previously recalled, and we are working in close collaboration with Honda to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the vehicle's status at the time of the incident," a Takata spokesman said, according to Reuters.
A preliminary report released by the medical examiner of the case confirmed that the driver was killed during the crash due to "blunt force injuries to the neck," according to Reuters.
The vehicle involved in the Houston incident had been a part of a 2011 recall, but the vehicle had not been repaired yet, according to Reuters.
The sixth death caused U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Edward Markey D-Mass., to call for a "comprehensive update" on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's oversight of the Takata recalls from Chief Mark Rosekind.
Around 340,000 Honda and Acura's have had their air bags replaced as of Jan. 15, or 6 percent of the 5.4 million vehicles recalled over faulty Takata air bags since 2014. More than 24 million vehicles have been recalled since 2008 over defective Takata air bags.
Takata and Honda have issued statements expressing their condolences to the victim's family.
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