NCJ Number
139779
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 37 Issue: 6 Dated: (November 1992) Pages: 1693-1696
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article documents the death of a juvenile that resulted from "car surfing," which involves a person standing with feet strapped to the hood of a car while the car is in motion.
Abstract
In the case described, a 13-year-old boy was "car surfing" down a dirt road in Indiana on a car being driven by an 18-year-old boy at speeds of up to 40 miles an hour. The driver lost control of the vehicle causing it to roll over. The "surfer," rather than being thrown clear, remained attached to the car by the foot strap, causing him to be pinned underneath the hood, with the partial weight of the car compressing his chest. He was freed by rescue personnel after approximately 30 minutes, but resuscitative efforts at the scene and a local hospital were unsuccessful. An autopsy performed the next day attributed the cause of death to positional or compression asphyxia, since there were no other demonstrable fatal injuries. The origin of the practice of "car surfing" is unknown, although it has been portrayed on the top of a van in one movie aimed at teen audiences ("Teenwolf"). A few months after the fatal case of "surfing" in Indiana, another group of juveniles in the same region of the State was involved in a similar accident, although the "surfer" was thrown clear of the car and suffered only minor injuries. Since Indiana is an unlikely source of new fads nationally, it can be supposed that the practice of "car surfing" is widespread throughout the United States. Accordingly, there is a strong likelihood that similar deaths may occur in other jurisdictions in the near future. 3 figures and 3 references