Cheap Chinese tires missing a safety feature are blamed for a fatal traffic accident, according to a lawsuit in New Jersey that warns as many as 450,000 light truck tires may need to be recalled.

A gum strip that helps prevent separation of steel belts might have been omitted in tires manufactured by China's Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co. and imported by Foreign Tire Sales Inc., of Union, N.J., reported ConsumerAffairs.com

The tires were sold under the names Westlake, Telluride, Compass and YKS.

"This is a prime example of a private lawsuit with a substantial public benefit," said Jeffrey B. Killino, an attorney with Woloshin & Killino, which represents the families of the deceased and injured. "The Hangzhou Rubber Company deliberately and secretly removed a safety feature from these tires and two young men died as a direct result. This was a tragedy that didn't have to happen, but hopefully we can prevent future fatal crashes."

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The lawsuit, filed by Foreign Tire Sales Inc., or FTS, charges tread separation caused a cargo van carrying four passengers to crash in Pennsylvania Aug.12, 2006, killing two passengers and injuring the other two, ConsumerAffairs.com reported.

FTS, noting other American distributors might also have been selling the tires, warns a recall may be necessary, estimating a million or more tires involved.

FTS says it can't afford to pay for the recall and is seeking to shift liability to the Chinese manufacturer, ConsumerAffairs.com reported. The American company says the Hangzhou firm removed the safety feature without notifying its U.S. distributors.

FTS began noticing an abnormal number of complaints from consumers a few years ago. After an ambulance crash in May 2006, the company examined the blown tire that caused it and said it found the Chinese manufacturer had failed to include the 0.6 mm gum strip between the belts.

FTS says the tire might meet minimal U.S. safety requirements, but the distributor often requires its suppliers to add extra safety and durability features.

According to FTS, tires manufactured by Hangzhou were also sold by the following distributors:

• Tireco, Compton, California

• Strategic Import Supply, Wayzata, Minnesota

• Omni United USA, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida

• Orteck International, Inc. of Gaithersburg, Maryland

• K&D Tire Wholesalers LLC, Carlsbad, California

• Robinson Tire in Laurel, Mississippi. Safety Research & Strategies, Inc.

Concerns with China imports began with the pet-food scandal that killed or maimed up to 39,000 American cats and dogs. WND's investigation followed into imports of foods meant for human consumption. The New York Times and other major U.S. media followed.

As WND reported, China, the leading exporter of seafood to the U.S., is raising most of its fish products in water contaminated with raw sewage and compensating by using dangerous drugs and chemicals, many of which are banned by the FDA.

The stunning news followed WND's report that FDA inspectors report tainted food imports from China are being rejected with increasing frequency because they are filthy, are contaminated with pesticides and tainted with carcinogens, bacteria and banned drugs.

China consistently has topped the list of countries whose products were refused by the FDA – and that list includes many countries, including Mexico and Canada, who export far more food products to the U.S. than China.

China is the second-largest source of imports for the U.S. while the U.S. is China's largest overseas market and second-largest source of foreign direct investment.

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