Fatal Cranial Injuries Caused by an Electric Angle Grinder

• NCJ Number: 187628
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 46 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2001 Pages: 389-391
• Author(s): Norbert Telmon M.D.; Jean-Pascal Allery M.D.; Virginie Scolan M.D.; Daniel Rouge M.D.
• Date Published: March 2001
• Length: 3 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper reports on a case of fatal cranial injuries caused by an angle grinder, which has a disk that rotates at about 10,000 rpms and that can cut or grind a variety of materials such as cement or iron.

Abstract

Because of the weight of the machine and speed of the disk rotation, it must be held with both hands, with one hand on the hilt and the other on the body of the machine. The case presented is interesting because of the probable circumstance in which it occurred and the appearance of the bony lesions. The deceased was a 38-year-old man, who was found lying face down on the floor of his garage. There was copious blood on the floor. The only object found near the body was an electric angle grinder. It was 2 meters from the corpse and still connected to the electric circuit, but switched off. The hilt of the machine was broken and was lying near the angle grinder. Inspection of the area showed grinding marks in a corner of the garage. External examination of the body showed numerous lesions. There was a horizontal bruised wound 3 cm long on the left side of the scalp on the vertex, and just posterior, on the left parietal bone, there was a second large horizontal wound 11 cm long with eruption of brain tissue. The mechanism of death was massive bleeding after a wound of the longitudinal sinus, and cause of death was hemorrhagic shock attributable to this bleeding. The boney lesions found were unusual. Their dimensions and the presence of a bony burn corresponding to the right side of the cutting edge of the disk were compatible with lesions produced by the disk of an angle grinder of the diameter found in the garage. A reconstruction of the death concluded that the hilt of the grinder broke, causing the machine to fall backward onto the victim as he held it at a height of 2.30 m off the floor. Given no psychological history that would suggest suicide, the death was found to be an accident. 5 figures and 10 references