Forensic pathology case study: problem f

Forensic Pathology Case Study: ” Problem F” Forensic Pathology Case Study: ” Problem F” I. Would you rule out suicide in this case? Please explain your answer.
The man, and in this case the driver, seem to have committed suicide. His wife reveals that her husband, Mr. Marley, has become slightly depressed for the time he is required to be on the trips. Mr. Marley had been suggesting to his wife that he felt it being fair to retire after fifteen years of working and left for the young sales teams to go for the trips. His wife also reveals Marley’s complaints over increased distant over past six months.
Another suggestion that depicts that Mr. Marley might have committed suicide was over-speeding towards that scene of the accident. The officer, who attended the scene confirmed that the truck was travelling at the speed of 80-85mph towards the area contrary to the remitted speed of 55mph. It reveals that Mr. Marley had the information about the speed limit but just ignored. The skid marks for about a hundred feet from the scene were missing, suggesting that he had not attempted to step on the emergency brake of the truck at a required distance, but did it fifteen feet to the scene of the accident.
II. Explain how you could determine if it was an accidental death compared to a sudden natural death.
The research carried out in California between 1963 and 1965 discovered that fifteen percent of 1026 drivers who died within the fifteen minutes of single-vehicle accidents was due to the natural causes (West et al. 1968). A percentage of ninety-six were men died of heart diseases, mostly coronary artery disease. Therefore, eighty-five percent of the drivers died an accidental death. According to the research, forty percent of the drivers were not aware of their heart conditions. Drivers licensed over commercial vehicles are categorized in this case. Natural death at the wheel due to atherosclerotic heart disease mostly affects the old drivers aged fifty-five years and above (Shkrum & Ramsay, 2007). In our scenario, Mr. Marley is the victim of the mentioned conditions, but the issue of his death being natural has a smaller percentage as compared to accidental death.
III. What might a Psychological Autopsy find?
The psychological autopsy could have revealed that Mr. Marley committed suicide. The problem could have been from the fact that the family doctor had revealed that Mr. Marley had suffered from the depression. In addition, the frontal lobe tumor that was found during an autopsy had been treated by Mr. Marley’s doctor, which was inoperable, and had also revealed that it could have caused death within twelve to eighteen months after discovery. It seems that Mr. Marley had awareness of his death, which was very soon. The stress and panic of his predicted death might have driven him to commit suicide instead of waiting until the days will be over for him to die (Shneidman & Collins, 2006).
IV. What do you believe to be the cause and manner of death? What is the basis of your opinion?
I believe that Mr. Marley death was as, a result of, committing suicide through depression. Marley was depressed by both the work and awareness of death as predicted by his doctor. After examination of the truck, it was noticed to have no mechanical problem there before. It, therefore, meant that Marley was aware while over speeding towards that area, which was risky towards his life. Marley did not also attempt emergency brakes at longer distance prior to the scene of the accident as revealed by the officer.
References
Shneidman, E. S. & Collins, J. (2006). Autopsy of a Suicidal Mind. New York: Oxford University Press.
Shkrum, M. J., & Ramsay, D. A. (2007). Forensic pathology of trauma: Common problems for the pathologist. Totowa, N. J: Humana Press.
West, I., Nielsen, G. L., Gilmore, A. E., and Ryan, J. R. (1968). Natural death at the wheel. JAMA, 205: 268.