Death due to Decapitation in a Motorcycle Accident – A Case Report

Abstract

Death due to decapitation is rare in Forensic practice. Though decapitation is usually associated with homicides, in civilians it is more  commonly seen in railway suicide. Decapitation in road traffic accidents is very rare, seen in high-speed impacts, and almost always  involve unusual circumstances. Here we discuss a case of complete decapitation in a motorcycle accident where the non-helmeted  deceased lost control of his motorcycle and hit the divider on the road resulting in decapitation. Correlating the findings at the scene of  accident and autopsy was crucial to determine events of the accident and mechanism of the decapitation.