Toddler suffocates to death after being crushed by a folding seat in a Hyundai SUV

Toddler suffocates to death after being crushed by a folding seat in a Hyundai SUV.

Lucia Ayala died by mechanical asphyxiation after a button to lay down the back seat was accidentally pressed, trapping her under it.

“It’s one of those things where it’s really a freak accident… pic.twitter.com/SMql2Wz3eV

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 21, 2026

Toddler suffocates to death after being crushed by a folding seat in a Hyundai SUV.

Lucia Ayala died by mechanical asphyxiation after a button to lay down the back seat was accidentally pressed, trapping her under it.

“It’s one of those things where it’s really a freak accident where, however the button was pressed, it went down and essentially crushed the child,” said Akron police Lt. Michael Murphy.

Hyundai has now recalled 70,000 vehicles and stopped production of certain trim levels of the Palisade due to safety concerns over an “issue with the second and third-row power seats.”

One Palisade owner showed just how dangerous the seats can be by crushing bottles of water.

Video: annabanana3703 / tt