Complete transection of the trunk of passengers in car accidents.
Traumatic amputation of extremities and complete severance of the trunk have been reported in extra-urban collisions between passenger cars and pedestrians at collision speeds of > 80-100 km/h (50-62 mi/h). In car passengers, such extreme types of injuries are very rare. Two cases are presented in which the cars had a lateral collision with road trees near the right B column (column between front and back door), as a result of which the car was torn into two parts just in front of the rear axle near the back seats. Under these circumstances, the trunk of the back passenger on the side of the collision was completely severed. Both accidents happened in left-hand bends and the speed of collisions amounted to 120 and 180 km/h (74 and 111 mi/h), respectively. All passengers were flung out of the cars.
Nadjem
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H
Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Freiburg/Br, Germany.
Ropohl
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D
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D000673:Amputation, Traumatic / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male