Fatal compressional injuries from a burst tyre: an industrial death.

A young maintenance man was killed while fixing a heavy duty tyre to a fork lift. The tyre exploded, sprang off the front axle and threw the victim against a wall 7.5 m away, fatally crushing him. Autopsy revealed multiple crush injuries and, cannabinoids were detected in the victim's urine. The mechanism of the fatal pneumatically-induced compressional injuries sustained and the significance of the cannabinoids in the body fluids of the deceased are discussed in this paper. Proposals are given on how to prevent similar accidents in the workplace.