TORONTO -- A Scarborough man is lucky to be alive after the airbags in his pickup truck spontaneously deployed yesterday.

Fortunately, Thomas Hong wasn't driving his GMC Sierra 1500 when they inflated.

"Airbags are suppose to be a safety device, not a killing device," the 51-year-old father of two said. "This could have been disastrous."

Had the airbags deployed a few minutes later it could have been deadly, he said.

"I would have been driving along the 401," Hong said. "If I was on the highway when it happened, guaranteed I would have had an accident."

"It would have blown my hands right off the steering wheel. It could have killed somebody or I could have been killed and my family would have been left fatherless."


Hong pointed out that had he been killed, investigators likely would have assumed the airbags deployed on impact.

Hong said he was leaving his home in the Port Union and Kingston Rds. area for work. He started his truck and left it running for a few minutes to warm it up. Meanwhile, he quickly sorted out his recycling.

"As I was taking my recycling to the curb, I heard a bang," Hong said. "About a second-and-a-half later I heard another bang."

Then he smelled something burning and noticed the cab of his truck was filled with smoke.

"I thought it must be an electrical fire," Hong said.

When he opened the door, Hong got a surprise. Both the driver side and passenger side airbags deployed.

"I couldn't believe it. There was absolutely no reason for it."