Excavation of the chest due to railway mishap

Injuries sustained due to railway mishaps are well documented. In these mishaps, ascertaining the cause of death is usually not difficult, but frequently circumstances do raise questions as to the manner of death. It is a real challenge for an autopsy surgeon to correlate the alleged history with injuries present on the body, thereby helping the investigating officer to come to a conclusion on the manner of death. Here, we present a case of an unusual excavation injury to the chest due to train impact, and discuss the mechanism of causation of this injury and the manner of death.