Abrasion Collar in Railway Transection Injury: A Finding That Speaks

Railway-related fatalities present significant challenges to forensic pathologists due to extensive injuries and complex biomechanical factors involved. This retrospective observational study was conducted on autopsy cases involving 28 railway transection injuries, focusing on injury morphology and correlation with the body's position on the tracks. Among 28 railway injury cases, 8 had death scene photographs and circumstantial findings suggesting a suicidal manner of death and allowing evaluation of body position suitable for analysis and correlation. An abrasion collar was consistently observed in a suicidal transected wound at the wound margin. Five cases involved decapitation, 1 showed thoracic transection, 1 case involved both neck and bilateral thigh transections, and 1 case had a transaction at the back. The abrasion collar was always present on the portion in contact with the wheel flange (on the inner aspect of the rail), with varying width depending on anatomic site, pressure, and contact duration. In some cases, thermal effects and pressure, such as compression, scorching, or blackening and dehydration of tissues, were also observed. The mechanism and factors affecting the formation of the abrasion collar are discussed. The abrasion collar is a significant and valuable forensic marker that provides insight into body orientation and the dynamics of railway fatalities.