Murder and robbery by vehicular impact: true vehicular homicide

• Published in: The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology Vol. 21; no. 2; p. 107
• Main Author: Nadesan, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.2000
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic - legislation & jurisprudence; Autopsy; Fatal Outcome; Forensic Medicine; Heart Atria - injuries; Homicide; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Trauma - pathology; Pericardial Effusion - pathology; Rupture; Malaysia
• ISSN: 0195-7910
• DOI: 10.1097/00000433-200006000-00003

True vehicular homicides are defined as those occurrences in which a motor vehicle is intentionally used as a weapon in taking of a life. A case is presented in which the deceased was traveling in the front passenger seat of a motor car that was deliberately rammed by a heavy jeep that came in the opposite direction, resulting in a serious frontal collision. Immediately after the impact, while the occupants of the car were lying in a dazed condition, the two persons riding in the jeep escaped with a bag containing money that was in the car, leaving the jeep behind. The impact mainly involved the driver's sides of both vehicles. The driver of the car sustained serious injuries but was found to be alive, whereas the front-seat passenger, who did not show any serious external injuries, was found to be in a collapsed state and was pronounced dead on admission to the hospital within 30 minutes of the accident. The autopsy revealed that death was caused by closed hemopericardium from a ruptured right atrium. The evaluation of the external and internal injuries confirmed that the fatal injury and a few serious internal injuries were caused by the seat belt (tertiary-impact injuries). The ruptured right atrium was attributed to blunt abdominal trauma by impacting against the lap belt. The case was a true vehicular homicide in which a motor vehicle had been used as a weapon to kill a person. Various aspects pertaining to road accidents, the safety of the occupants, and the advantage and disadvantage of the safety devices are discussed.