air bag operation

Have a 2004 volkswagon new beetle, 34,000 miles engine is a TDI was involved in a accident. ran off the road in to a ditch. went from 50MPH to 0 in about 50 feet. hit the left front vendor drivers door and left front tire. Most of the impact was to the left front wheel. (broke the link between the sway bar and steering arm) question is should the airbags side or front have deployed? Do you have to trigger a sensor such as a pressure sensor or is it an accel. such as a MEMS?
thanks