A 30-year-old male pedestrian was involved in an accident with a truck. He became trapped in the front bumper of the truck and was dragged for around 100–150 meters (328-492 feet). At the scene of the crime blood-stains and pieces of flesh and body tissue were seen smearing the road up to that distance. At the terminal end, where the body was found, there were tire marks in a forward and backward direction. Here also, due to fearing the fury of bystanders the truck driver fled. The victim died on the spot.
The deceased had graze abrasion injuries to soft tissues and bone over his chest and right upper limb. The skin in and around the injuries and the corresponding bones were blackened and showed evidence of dermo-epidermal burns. The humerus bone was so abraded that it looked as if it had been planed like wood by a carpenter, together with blackening of the bone matter. There was a graze abrasion over the right thigh and knee, which was skin deep.
Fig.1 Bone abrasion due to the dragging force of a moving vehicle.
Visceral organs were intact and pale, including lungs, heart, liver, and spleen. The brain showed subarachnoid hemorrhage surrounding the entire brain surface area. The cause of death given was shock and hemorrhage due to injuries sustained. Toxicological analysis did not reveal any toxicological substances.
Regarding evidence collection, the bloodstains found on site were matched with the blood of the victim, and the tire marks were identified to be those of the alleged van and truck by the investigating team. However, the van or the truck that was the causative factor of these fatal incidences was not been able to be traced by the investigating team, so they were unable to obtain evidence of traces of any stains on it.
In vehicular accidents involving a pedestrian/ bicycle/motorcycle in collision with another vehicle, such as a car or truck, various skin injuries occur. These skin injuries are often termed as “friction abrasions/brush burns/gravel rash/road rash/graze abrasion”. Here, the injuries indicate contact of the body surface with a hard and rough surface such as the road. However, such injuries might not be limited to the skin only. When a victim is dragged for a considerable distance with force by any means like a vehicle, it can produce an extensive form of abrasion injuries, which involve the skin, soft tissues, and sometimes the bone. Often the victim dies at the site due to such injuries. However, sometimes they survive and are brought to the hospital in an injured state.
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