ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 March 2002
Page Count: 3

Cervical Fracture, Decapitation, and Vehicle-assisted Suicide
Gilbert, JD
Forensic Science Centre,

Byard, RW
Forensic Science Centre,

(Received 13 August 2001; accepted 24 July 2001)

Abstract

Two cases of vehicle-assisted suicides are described in males aged 33 and 24 years, respectively. In both cases the victims had tied ropes between stationary objects and their necks and then attempted to drive their vehicles away. The speed with which the vehicles were driven resulted in forces great enough to cause fracture-dislocation of the cervical spine in Case 1 and virtual decapitation in Case 2. Although inadvertent alteration of the death scene in Case 1, with removal of the rope, complicated the initial assessment, the extent of soft tissue and bony injuries was such that ligature strangulation appeared unlikely.

Keywords:
forensic science, ligature, suicide, motor vehicle

Paper ID: JFS15265J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS15265J
ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.