Reminds me of just how dangerous cars from the 80's and 90's really were. In the mid 00's I had a buddy killed by a drunk driver in a story similar to this one.
His dad was a pilot and they were fairly well to do, but his dad didn't want to spoil him. So when he left for school he bought him a compact truck that Toyota produced in the 80's.
The accident was caused by a drunk driver falling asleep at the wheel and crossing the median of the highway. The drunk driver was uninjured, but my buddies car didn't have airbags and the steering wheel crushed his chest.