Post-mortem imaging in traffic fatalities: from autopsy to reconstruction of the scene using freely available software

Abstract

CT scan coupled with autopsy is the gold standard for the forensic investigation of fatal road traffic accidents. The objective of the present paper is to demonstrate that from this, it is possible to reconstruct elements of an accident with minimal human and material resources using basic knowledge of three-dimensional imaging software. This is illustrated by a case implicating a pedestrian and a motor vehicle in which the impact areas were matched using freely available computer-aided design software. Such an approach aims to improve the visualisation of forensic elements, which is crucial for the understanding of all parties involved in the legal implications of such accidents and which could become the standard practice in many institutes.