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Fatal Chest Injury Caused by Windblown Beach Umbrella
Author(s) -
Harris Allyse B.,
Gunther Wendy M.,
Fantaskey Amy P.,
Weinstein Lawrence B.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.13765
Subject(s) - blunt , medicine , witness , poison control , forensic engineering , surgery , general surgery , geology , medical emergency , law , engineering , political science
Abstract We present the case of a windblown beach umbrella inflicting fatal penetrating blunt force to the chest of a 55‐year‐old female beachgoer. A postmortem examination and detailed case history review were performed which revealed left ventricular trauma, determined to be the cause of death. Using recorded wind speeds from the date of the incident and the weight of the umbrella, we were able to calculate the pressure with which the umbrella struck the victim to be 16,000 PSI . Witness reports, medical records, scene details, and examination of a rental beach umbrella allowed the forensic pathologist to conclude that the object causing this woman's death was a windblown beach umbrella.