title: When the prey gets too big: an uncommon road accident involving a motorcyclist, a car and a bird.
abstract: We present the postmortem findings of a fatal road accident involving a motorcyclist, a car, and a common buzzard. Both the motorcyclist and the bird died on the scene of the accident and were examined by postmortem full-body CT and autopsy. In addition, a facial injury of the motorcyclist was compared with the dimensions of the buzzard's beak and claws by 3D scan technologies. Blood splatters collected on the bird's beak, feet, and tail were examined by DNA analysis. The overall findings suggested a collision of a common buzzard with a motorcyclist in full speed, causing the motorcyclist to lose control of his vehicle and crash with an approaching car on the oncoming lane.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland. joelle.tschui@irm.unibe.ch.
authors.forename: J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8258-0632
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tschui
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Feddern
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schwendener
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Campana
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Utz
authors.affiliation: Natural History Museum Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schweizer
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jackowski
authors.affiliation: Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Bern, Buehlstrasse 20, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Zech
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D009049:Motorcycles; D009104:Multiple Trauma; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bird; Fatal; Motorcycle; Road accident