Fatal missile injury from the rotating knife of an agricultural mower.
The first case of a lethal injury inflicted by a projectile-wise shot piece of the rotating knife of an agricultural mower (gyro mower) is presented. The knife had travelled approximately 100 m through the air before hitting the victim's body. It transected most organs of the ventral neck including both carotids, the trachea and the esophagus and led to death from exsanguination. The type of the knife which was recovered from the body led to the identification of the mower whose operator had not noticed the accident. Legal action against the user or against the producer of the mower were considered but dismissed as no safety regulations had been violated.
Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Graz, School of Medicine, Austria.
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D000059:Accidents; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture; D020212:Carotid Artery Injuries; D004947:Esophagus / Q000293:injuries*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014132:Trachea / Q000293:injuries*; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology