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Question #141 (2/6/2026)
National Association of Medical Examiners
Educational Activities Committee
Submitted by Dr. Hind Abouzahir (Medical Examiner / Associate Professor) and Dr. Barthelemy Munkana Matadi (Resident Doctor) from the Medicolegal Institute, Ibn Rochd University Hospital, Casablanca, Morocco
1.
A 51-year-old male driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene after his car struck a palm tree at an intersection while apparently attempting to avoid an obstacle. According to the police report, the vehicle sustained marked frontal damage with deployment of the driver’s airbag. The vehicle cabin was intact, with no evidence of shattered glass or open access points, and no weapons were found at the scene.
External examination revealed a single, well-circumscribed penetrating wound in the right suprasternal region, measuring approximately 4 × 4 cm, with darkened margins and without soot deposition or stippling (see autopsy photo). No additional penetrating injuries were identified, and there was no exit wound.
Dissection of the wound tract revealed a metallic object. The object was cylindrical, metallic, oxidized, and had irregular, jagged edges.
Based on the autopsy findings and the recovered object, which of the following best explains the mechanism of injury?
Gunshot wound from a projectile fired through the vehicle window
Penetrating wound from a sharp object inside the vehicle
Penetrating wound from roadway debris entering the vehicle during impact
Penetrating wound from fragments of an internal vehicle safety device
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Thank you!
