Fatal Road Traffic Vehicle Collisions With Pedestrian Victims

Vasiliki Chatzaraki, Michael J. Thali, Garyfalia Ampanozi, Wolf Schweitzer
2018 American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology  
Fatal car-to-pedestrian collisions regularly appear in the forensic pathologist's routine, particularly in places of extended urbanization. Postmortem computed tomography has gained an exceptional role to supplement autopsy worldwide, giving information that is supplementary or complimentary to conventional autopsy. In this retrospective study, a total number of 320 findings in a series of 21 pedestrians fatally hit by cars and trucks of both postmortem computed tomography and autopsy were
more » ... lated. According to our results, it is best to combine both methods to give well-founded answers to questions pertaining to both collision reconstruction and cause of death. Abstract: Fatal car-to-pedestrian collisions regularly appear in the forensic pathologist's routine, particularly in places of extended urbanization. Postmortem computed tomography has gained an exceptional role to supplement autopsy worldwide, giving information that is supplementary or complimentary to conventional autopsy. In this retrospective study, a total number of 320 findings in a series of 21 pedestrians fatally hit by cars and trucks of both postmortem computed tomography and autopsy were correlated. According to our results, it is best to combine both methods to give well-founded answers to questions pertaining to both collision reconstruction and cause of death. FIGURE 9. Cause of death relevance. A, Axial PMCT slices of the chest: gas accumulation in both thoracic cavities (asterisks, left > right), with mediastinal shift to the right (white dashed line) indicating tension pneumothorax on the left. B, Left pneumothorax (asterisk) and traumatic pericardial defect causing pneumopericardium (white arrow). Reconstruction and cause of death relevance: rib fracture on the left side (white circle) and soft tissue emphysema (black arrows) are also revealed. Am J Forensic Med Pathol • Volume 00, Number 00, Month 2018 Road Traffic Vehicle Collisions With Pedestrians 40. Filograna L, Bolliger SA, Kneubuehl B, et al. A minimally invasive technique for the detection and analysis of pulmonary fat embolism: a feasibility study.
doi:10.1097/paf.0000000000000382 pmid:29438138 fatcat:tujyebi42fh43g432ltsgb3aqe