Blast overpressure after tire explosion: a fatal case.

Abstract

Fatal blast injuries are generally reported in literature as a consequence of the detonation of explosives in war settings. The pattern of lesion depends on the position of the victim in relation to the explosion, on whether the blast tracks through air or water, and whether it happens in the open air or within an enclosed space and the distance from the explosion. Tire explosion-related injuries are rarely reported in literature. This study presents a fatal case of blast overpressure due to the accidental explosion of a truck tire occurring in a tire repair shop. A multidisciplinary approach to the fatality involving forensic pathologists and engineers revealed that the accidental explosion, which caused a series of primary and tertiary blast wave injuries, was due to tire deterioration.

• Authors: Cristoforo Pomara, Stefano D'Errico, Irene Riezzo, Gabriela Perilli, Umberto Volpe, Vittorio Fineschi
• Journal: The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology (Am J Forensic Med Pathol) Vol. 34 Issue 4 Pg. 306-10 (Dec 2013) ISSN: 1533-404X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24247639 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Accidents, Occupational
• Air Pressure
• Blast Injuries (pathology)
• Explosions
• Fatal Outcome
• Hemorrhage (pathology)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Motor Vehicles
• Multiple Trauma (pathology)