Suicide by gunshot while driving an automobile.
Suicide by a motor vehicle occurs more commonly than is realized, and may be difficult to prove. Suicide by other means while driving a vehicle is far less common. An automobile driven by a young woman left a road at high speed, became airborne, and came to rest on its top in a front yard. This was initially assumed to be a fatal traffic accident. Upon righting the vehicle, a .357 revolver was found on the ground beside it. A single, fatal, self-inflicted gunshot wound was found in the decedent's midanterior thorax. A suicide note was found in her purse. She had been chronically depressed and had twice attempted suicide. Vehicular suicides may constitute 10-30% of fatal single-vehicle crashes, and must be considered in any vehicular mishap lacking another reasonable explanation. Suicide by other means while driving is far less common than suicidal vehicular collision and suicidal death from carbon monoxide in motor vehicles. An autopsy should be performed in each of these sometimes-low-priority single-vehicle deaths in order to certify vehicular accidents correctly; to discover and document vehicular suicides; and to detect homicides disguised as vehicular mishaps.
Murphy
G K
GK
Department of Pathology, Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, OH 45409-2793.
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013405:Suicide; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000473:pathology*