Neck injuries caused by being run over by a motor vehicle

We report a homicide involving the use of a motor vehicle and simulating a traffic accident. This observation was the reason for a retrospective analy sis of neck injuries in victims of traffic accidents, in which a person has been run over (RO) by a motor vehicle. The autopsy material of two institu tes from 1990-1996 was used. The following findings were obtained in 63 vic tims: laryngohyoid fractures (LH-fx): 10 cases (16%) with a clear differenc e between the institutes (22% versus 7%). This resulted from examination wi th special regard to such injuries in many cases at one of the institutes, whereas only autopsy reports were taken retrospectively from the other inst itute. Five of these cases had suffered only minor LH-fx (as seen frequentl y in strangulation), although extensive run over (RO) injuries of the other cervical tissues were present. All LH-fx were caused by direct compression of the neck; in eight of the cases they were combined with mandibular frac tures. Petechial hemorrhages (petH) at the eye lids/conjunctivae were seen in 19 cases (30%); 16 of these were related to thorax RO injuries, three to abdominal RO only. Four cases involved LH-fx, petH as well as cervical ski n lesions and additional cervical soft tissue hemorrhages. Interpretation c an be extremely difficult with this combination of findings if the characte r of the event cannot be established as accidental beyond doubt on the basi s of the circumstances.