sirs what is the most probable cause for the severed spine in a van? repeated slamming, hits ...?
This is all pure speculation, but whatever caused it had to be edged, in some way. A protruding bolt could. Falling onto the edge of the seat could. Being slammed against a bolt or edge of the seat could. It's hard to speculate without knowing what level of the spinal cord was severed...was it just one level...was it completely severed or just partial. Like I was saying before, the body's design does a pretty good job of protecting the spinal cord. I'm having a hard time grasping that this happened with him all restrained, hands and feet, while on the floor of the van. Looking at the inside of the van, even sharp turns would simply.....hmmmm.....lightbulb.....
...he could have suffered a
compression fx or burst fx of the spinal cord if his head hit the wall of the van, if the van came to a sudden stop. He could have slid right into it, with the top of his head hitting the wall of the van. If the body slides with enough force, where the head is hit directly on top, you could get a burst fx of the vertebra, which inturn severs the spinal cord. I've seen it numerous times in body surfing accidents, where someone was diving with a wave, and hit a shallow sand burm. Or when someone dives head first into the shallow end of a pool, when the top of the head hits the floor of the pool. With immediate medical attention, the person can be saved, depending on the level of the fracture, although likely left a quadriplegic. However, without medical attention, the nerves supplying the diaphragm muscle, which is responsible for breathing, can be impaired to the point of causing respiratory arrest and death.
Whatever was the cause of the spinal cord injury, that would be how he died.....that his diaphragm was no longer able to functionally facilitate breathing, and the person dies from anoxia
