Citation

Maxeiner H, Hahn M. J. Trauma 1997; 42(6): 1148-1151.

Affiliation

Institute of Legal Medicine, Free University, Berlin, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9210558

Abstract

In a frontal collision of a car (taxicab) perpendicular into a streetcar with an impact speed of approximately 30 kph (20 mph), the driver survived with minor injuries. The front-seat passenger was extremely "out-of-position," with her seat positioned nearly fully forward. This in combination with her short stature led to fatal injuries resulting from the inflating airbag (U.S.-type) striking against her face and chin. At the scene, she was found essentially clinically dead, but was resuscitated and died finally 13 days later. Postmortem examination showed a complete disruption of all ventral ligaments between the base of the skull and the first and second vertebrae, a nearly complete ventral rupture of the medulla, and diffuse axonal injury of the brain.