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Make haste slowly!

This article contains graphic images from real cases which may be disturbing to some viewers.
Viewer discretion is advised. 

 
Motor vehicle deaths are the most frequent ones. The cause is a reckless driving, rashness, imprudence and a total failure to adjust the speed to outside conditions. The ongoing investigation concentrate on the following factors:
-         to determine the cause of death;
-         to confirm the death was caused by injuries in the accident;
-         to detect any disease or other factor which might have been imperative and caused an accident;
-         to detect any criminal activity associated with the death;
-         to document all the findings for subsequent use in either criminal or civil actions;
-         to establish positive identification of the body, especially if it is burned or severely mutilated;

The police officers as direct witnesses see the trauma injuries which might be result of:
-         impaction of the individual on some portion of the interior of the car;
-         violation of the integrity of the passenger compartment by intrusion of part of the car or another object; e.g. another vehicle or a lamppost, into the passenger compartment;
-         ejection from the motor vehicle, either part or entire;
-         fire.

The causes mentioned above are mixed are also impairment of the driver by alcohol, drugs, and, sadly, sometimes, many more. As a general rule more than a half of drivers killed in accidents are under influence of alcohol, it would be safe to say that the number varies form 65%-75% - alcohol and drugs, the drugs are not necessary the drugs of abuse, there are also prescribed medications. The second and frequent cause of motor accidents is a human error which is characterized as:
-         reckless;
-         speed;
-         falling asleep at the wheel;

The third cause is environmental hazard; bad weather, slid or icy roads, poorly marked roads, poorly constructed roads. Alongside with miscellaneous causes such as defective vehicles and natural diseases. In case of the accidents caused by natural disease – they are not a serious danger to the general public, it causes only the death of the driver who prior it happens is able to stop the vehicle. The motor vehicle accidents are divided into four categories:
-         front impact crashes;
-         slide impact crashes;
-         rollovers;
-         rear impact crashes;


The fatality of the crash itself depends on the degree on the size and  the type of the vehicle is involved in a crash. Small vehicles are less able to absorb crash energy. The most severe and damaging injuries are expected in small vehicles. Pickups are heavier, thus, the occupants are more likely to survive the crash. In sport utilities  are prone to cause fatal single-vehicle crashes by their tendency to rollover. Front impact crashes occur when two vehicles crash head-on, or a vehicle crashes into a fixed object. The passengers unless restrained by seat-belts they will continue their forward movement, even though, the car has stopped. While unrestrained, the driver’s knees will impact the instrument panel, the chest the steering wheel, the head the windshield, the passenger will impact the dashboard.



The chest of the driver will impact the steering wheel, whereas, the chest of the passenger the dashboard. The injuries and the impact varies from imprinted abrasions and contusions. The following internal injuries are the most typical; they depend on the force of the impact and the age of the victim:
-         traverse fracture of the sternum;
-         bilateral rib fractures;
-         impaling injuries of the lung caused by fractured ribs;
-         contusions, internal lacerations, rapture of pulmonary parenchyma;
-         transaction of the aorta;
-         laceration of the liver and spleen;


 Due to elastic nature of the sternum or ribs in young individuals, there can be extensive thoracic injuries without fracture. The injury of the heart is less common, the most common are myocardial contusions, lacerations of the pericardial sac.

If the integrity of the passenger compartment is violated by the engine’s being driven backward, the massive crashing injuries emerge alongside with the injuries of the pelvis. In head-on crashes, the floorboards can be driven upward and inward twisting the floor on the ankle causing fracture.  Side impact crashes are fatal to the passengers, these crashes occur at intersections when the car is stuck broadside by another vehicle. In this type of crash the dicing injuries are frequent. In car-to-car collisions, when, the impact is on the driver’s side, force is applied from the shoulder level downward. The force is delivered from the roof to floor level, the seat belt and the airbag do not help much and do not have much of positive effects. The injuries tend to be on the left side of the body. When the side impact occurs, fatalities are more likely expected in the car impacted rather than car impacting. Rollover crashes are less lethal and the use of seat belts is very beneficial, if one is not wearing a seat belt might be rolled over into a passenger compartment like a doll or ejected from the vehicle. There is no specific injury pattern. As vehicle rolls over it becomes airborne, with a low centre of gravity the rolling vehicle tends to land on the edge of the roof, with vehicles with a high centre of gravity, after the impact, the vehicle continues to roll and comes to rest on its wheels. Rear impact crashes are the least common, yet, one of the most potential dangers is rapture of the gas tank, with ignition of the fuel. In rear impact collisions there may be seatback failure, the back of the front seat goes horizontal, the occupant of the seat can go backward or even can be ejected out the rear window. The head and the neck injuries are common. The injury patterns are associated with different types of crashes. The airbags and the seatbelts are very important, thus, it reduces mortality, by preventing ejection of the driver and the passengers at the time of crash. The airbags are intended to provide protection only in frontal crashes and to be used in conjunction with seatbelts. Bear in mind, airbags may produce injury, and on rare occasion, death.

The deign of the airbags varies in the following way:
-         collision speed;
-         speed of deployment;
-         distance of extension;
-         physical characteristics of the airbag.

Just like seatbelts, airbags can produce injuries, however, unlike  seatbelts, the injuries can be immediately lethal.


Fires are uncommon. And it occurs in relatively small amount of fatal motor vehicle crashes. Motorcycle accidents are intrinsically dangerous; the police proverb says “Buy Your son a motorcycle for his last birthday”. The individuals involved in motorcycle injuries die of a head and neck injuries, the death is instant.


In all fatal motor vehicles accidents a toxicolgic screen for drugs and alcohol is required.

Pedestrian deaths and its severity because of injuries varies, it depends on these four crucial factors:
-         the speed of the vehicle;
-         its physical characteristics;
-         whether it was braking;
-         whether the victim was a child or adult.

the following injuries are closely correlated with the impact velocity:
-         fracture of the spine;
-         rapture of the aorta;
-         inguinal skin rapture;
-         dismemberment.

In high speed crash the pedestrian do nor have any chance to survive. A massive hemorrhage appears, in case of hit-and-run, the tire marks left on the body and any surveillance cameras are the crucial keys to find the killer.

The motor vehicle accidents are unavoidable, the traffic congestion is dense, the appetite for high speed driving never burns out, let’s be frank, the thicker wallet we have, the more fancy car we desire. Yet, mustn’t we forget that among all the things we have, one is only one in our lifespan – the life we live, therefore, it is so important to live it wisely and safely. The Police appeals: Do not drive faster than a speeding bullet!

Acknowledgements:
The Police Department;
https://www.politie.nl/mijnbuurt/politiebureaus/05/burgwallen.html and a Chief Inspector – Mr.Erik Akerboom   ©

Bibliography:
1.    Eckert, G.W.: Introduction to Forensic Sciences. 1992.
2.     Aginsky, V.: A microspectrophotometric method for dating ballpoint inks — a feasibility study, J. Forensic Sci., vol. 40. 1995
3.     Beck, J.: Handwriting of the alcoholic, Forensic Sci. Intl., vol. 28, 19, 1985.
4.     Beck, J.: Sources of error in forensic handwriting evaluation, J. Forensic Sci., vol. 40 (no. 1), 78, 1995.
5.     Dawson, G.A.: Brain function and writing with the unaccustomed hand, J. Forensic Sci., vol. 30 (no. 1), 167, 1985.
6.     Franks, J.E.: The direction of ballpoint penstrokes in left- and right-hand writers as indicated by the orientation of burrstriations,J. Forensic Sci. Soc.,vol. 22, 271,1982.
7.     Gerhart, F.J.: Identification of photo copiers from fusing roller defects,J. Forensic Sci.,vol. 37 (no. 1), 130, 1992.
8.     Gilreath, J.: The Judgment of Experts: Essays and Documents About the Investigation of the Forging of the “Oath of a Freeman”, American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, MA, 1991.
9.     Oron, M. and Tamir, V.: Development of some methods for solving forensic problems encountered in handwritten and printed documents, Intl. Crim. Police Rev., no.324, 24, Jan. 1979.
10.                       Osborn, A.S.: Questioned Documents, 2nd ed. (facsimile reproduction), Nelson-Hall, Chicago, IL, circa 1985

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