Citation

Conroy C, Eastman AB, Stanley C, Vilke GM, Vaughan T, Hoyt DB, Pacyna S. Am. J. Forensic Med. Pathol. 2007; 28(4): 330-332.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, California; Scripps Health, La Jolla, California; ‡Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, California; §Office of the Medical Examiner, County of San Diego,

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PAF.0b013e31815b4c47

PMID

18043021

Abstract

Motor vehicle rollover crashes result in complex occupant kinematics with the potential for severe injury. Five cases of fatal asphyxia in occupants suspended from their safety belt upside down after a rollover crash are presented. These fatalities accounted for 13.5% of all motor vehicle related asphyxia deaths in San Diego County over a 10-year period. This study supports previous research noting that incapacitation due to other injuries, alcohol, or obesity may be associated with fatal positional asphyxia due to inversion during rollovers. Safety belts are proven to prevent serious injury in motor vehicle crashes and should always be worn. However, redesign of the buckle could be considered to permit easier release by an occupant. We also suggest that pre-existing heart disease may contribute to the possibility of a fatal asphyxia outcome. Although this is a rare cause of motor vehicle related death, our results suggest that these are potentially preventable deaths.

Language: en