Skip to main content

This woman died after getting hit by a train. Her right arm got amputated along with bruising of the face and chest. No further info. Railway injuries are not uncommon, especially in countries with many ‘level crossings’ (called ‘grade crossings’ in the USA), where a public road crosses a railway track with either no barrier at all or with only a flimsy lifting pole. Many vehicles are struck each year by passing locomotives.

Fig.1 Amputation of the right arm and bruising of the face and chest in a pedestrian struck by a passing locomotive.

The other fairly common railway fatality is the suicide who lays himself in front of an approaching train. Decapitation is the most common injury and the obvious features are the local tissue destruction, usually with grease, rust or other dirt soiling of the damaged area.

Latest posts

Fig.1 Diptera larvae collected from the ocular cavity of a cadaver in active decay.

Diptera larvae collected from the ocular cavity of a cadaver

| Decomposition | No Comments
On June 28, 2009, a 70-year-old male corpse was found in his house in Pisa. He was lying…
Fig.1 Skin burns on a victim of lysol suicide.

Skin burns on a victim of lysol suicide

| Suicide | No Comments
Skin burns on a victim of lysol suicide. The trickle pattern makes it obvious that the victim was…
Fig.1 Greenish white molds on the forehead, right side of the cheek, perioral, and perinasal areas, and anterior part of neck, and chest.

Fungal growth on a corpse

| Decomposition | No Comments
A 42-year-old woman was discovered dead, the body was covered with fungal plaques. She had been leading a…
Fig.1 Contact wound, between the eyes from a .357 Magnum revolver.

Contact wound between the eyes from a .357 Magnum revolver

| Gunshot, Suicide | No Comments
Massive injuries from contact handgun wounds of the head, when they do occur, are associated with Magnum calibers,…