CSI: NY, Season 4

Sid:
(about their burn victim) Face with no name is simply a face. And your victim's helmet preserved his quite well, but it hasn't helped me make an I.D. Yet.

Danny:
To think I ever opposed the helmet law.

Sid:
Well, not so fast. That skull bucket also contributed to what killed him.

Danny:
You mean, it wasn't the fact that he was on fire with a high speed impact with a fire truck?

Sid:
Imagine your victim catches fire. A helmet starts to fill up with toxic fumes. He panics, struggling to get it off, which only increases the rate of smoke inhalation. Result was direct toxicity to the cardiac muscle.

Mac:
C.O.D. was smoke inhalation.

Sid:
And death was near instantaneous.

Danny:
What about the stab wounds?

Sid:
Turned out to be minor injuries inflicted with a meat thermometer.

Danny:
Whoa. Wha'? A meat thermometer? Who stabs somebody with a meat thermometer?

Sid:
Cannibal? It's anyone's guess. Severity of charring was significantly greater above his ankles than below...And based on the degree of trauma to the bones, I'd say your human comet's rate of speed was at least 80 mph at the time of impact.

Danny:
80?! What was he doing to be moving that fast?

Sid:
Now keep in mind that I'm simply a pathologist, but the injuries to this victim, well frankly, they appear consistent....with him re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. Now until you come up with some evidence that says otherwise, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.