GM blames 'incompetence and neglect' for fatal ignition switch flaws

General Motors CEO Mary Barra on Thursday said an internal review found no evidence of a cover-up in its decade-long failure to recall millions of vehicles with faulty ignition switches, instead blaming the oversight on sheer "incompetence and neglect." Barra added that 15 employees have been dismissed for misconduct or for failing to act sooner.

The automaker concedes 13 deaths and another 47 accidents were the result of the glitchy switch. In one astonishing case, a woman was blamed for her fiancé's death following a 2004 car crash, only to learn this year that the defective switch actually caused the accident.

GM finally began recalling vehicles in February, and the effort has since grown to include 2.6 million cars.

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