Coroner's Finding: Twining, Laurence Charles

70y · Male·Trauma of the chest and abdomen; severe chest injuries including multiple bilateral rib fractures, sternum fracture, right hemopneumothorax, diaphragm rupture, traumatic abdominal wall hernia, fractures of left clavicle and facial bones

A 70-year-old man died from severe blunt chest and abdominal trauma sustained when the vehicle he was a passenger in left the road and struck a large rock. The driver (his wife) lost control of the vehicle on a clear day on a dry road with no mechanical defects. Investigation concluded the most likely cause was driver fatigue/falling asleep. There are no clinical lessons for healthcare professionals in this case, as death resulted from a motor vehicle crash rather than medical misadventure or healthcare-related error.