[JohnDough]

Get a grip stupid. His head was severed, Not a decapitation. Irrelevant, But autopsy reveals that the doctors B.A.C. was .10 he was legally drunk. And that is straight from HoustonChronicle.com "On Monday, however, the Harris County medical examiner's office told the Associated Press that an autopsy showed the doctor died of multiple blunt force injuries to his head and body, and that part of his head was severed."

[John W]

Wiring Blamed in Doctor's Elevator Death

By Associated Press

September 26, 2003, 12:20 AM EDT


HOUSTON -- Faulty wiring caused a hospital elevator to malfunction, leading to the death of a doctor caught in its closing doors, according to a state report released Thursday.

Dr. Hitoshi Nikaidoh, 35, a surgical resident, died last month after he got on the elevator and the doors suddenly closed, pinning his shoulders. His head was severed when the elevator began to rise.

Ron Steele, Texas' chief elevator inspector, said a single misconnected wire disabled safety systems that would have kept the door from closing and the elevator from ascending. A final report will be issued by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

A maintenance company had been working on the elevator at Christus St. Joseph Hospital for four days before the incident. The victim's family is suing Kone Inc., seeking unspecified damages.

Vice president Mike Lubben said Kone still was reviewing the state report but its own investigation concluded that a wire in an electrical panel was incorrectly connected.

"We offer our deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Nikaidoh," Lubben said.

This month, the hospital dismissed Kone from doing its elevator maintenance.
Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press