Road & railway injury (suicidal)

By Muhd Ariff MahdzubForensic Posting4th year Mbbs

Pattern of injury ofvehicle occupants

• The pathology of all these is no different from accidents elsewhere (Knight f. p293)

• The type of vehicle (theory) makes little difference to the mechanism of injury

• In crashes, Heavy goods vehicles naturally suffer less than light vehicle because of their far greater mass and strength

-Knight F.

Cause of death

• gross musculoskeletal or organ damage, • severe haemorrhage, • blockage of air passages from blood, or• traumatic asphyxia from fixation of the chest

caused by crushing from some part of a vehicle.

-Knight F.

railway injury (suicidal)

• The common railway fatality is the suicide who lays himself in front of an approaching train.

• The Ix for alcohol and other drugs must be made, as suicides often employ multiple methods to ensure self-destruction.

• Sometimes the injuries complicated by high-voltage electrical lesions, as the typical traction voltage of an electric railway is in excess of 600 volts.

• Decapitation is the most common injury • Other obvious features are the local tissue

destruction, usually with grease, rust or other dirt soiling of the damaged area

• Figure 9.27 Amputation of the right arm and bruising of the face and chest in a pedestrian struck by a passing locomotive

• Figure 9.28 Extensive disintegration of the body that has been run over by a train.