Only for forensic students!!
In June 2003, in Norway, a small Mazda 232 car was involved in an accident. While navigating a sharp left curve at high speed, the vehicle collided with the guardrail on the right side of the road, causing significant damage to the rail. On the opposite side of the road, near the guardrail, several road sign poles displaying warnings about the sharp curve were bent or destroyed. The head of a young woman with dark blond hair was discovered in close proximity to one of these poles. Approximately fifty meters away from the nearest pole, the car had subsequently crashed into a mountainside after its initial collision with the guardrail. Remarkably, the car's engine was still running.
Fig.2 The car with the deceased in the front passenger seat. Safety belt seen behind the deceased.
All car doors had been shut, and both frontal airbags deployed. The passenger-side window was shattered, and the glass had fallen out. The windshield displayed fractures and bore bloodstains on the passenger side. Seated in the passenger seat was a young woman who had been decapitated, her body leaning forward. Notably, the seat belt had not been engaged, contributing to the considerable blood inside the car on the passenger side. Although the driver initially vanished, they were later located and apprehended.
Fig.3 The warning sign with poles. Arrow points to the place where the head of the woman was lying.
The autopsy findings detailed a robust 34-year-old woman with skin abrasions and bruises on the right arm. Notable abrasions on the chin and front of the neck indicated the impact site, accompanied by a slight irregular cut below the chin. The skin around the rest of the neck exhibited relatively clean incisions. The head bore a cut through the lower temples on both sides, with the left ear and portions of the right ear remaining on the neck. The occipital bone fracture left the skull's base on the torso, connecting the mandible and tongue to the head. Bruising was observed in the cerebellum and basal part of the occipital lobe, while the pons and medulla were torn and severed. Mandibular fractures were present, but there was no cervical spine fracture. A toxicology blood screen revealed 0.18% ethanol.
Investigation findings indicated that both frontal airbags deployed upon initial impact. The right airbag's plastic cover had been forced into the windshield, causing fractures. The deceased passenger had not used a seat belt and likely deviated from the normal seat position when the airbag activated. Consequently, she was propelled against the right front passenger seat window, leading to its breakage.
Due to the airbags' release and the impact, it is surmised that the female's head was thrust through the open window, colliding with a pole. The rounded pole near the guardrail remained intact, while the large squared metal sign with a yellow arrow, positioned too high, was ruled out as the cause of injuries. The incident was ultimately classified as blunt force trauma resulting from the collision with the pole.
Fig.4 3D Reconstruction of the accident. The warning sign with poles.