Virtopsy of severe chest compression: Lungs partly herniated into the deep neck space

•Cervical lung herniation as possibly discriminating feature for severe chest compression.•Post mortem CT findings to supplement / prepare autopsy.•Side by side images to show autopsy versus post mortem CT. The herniation of lungs into the deep neck space should be considered as a particular sign of possible crush injury or severe chest compression, particularly in presence of other injuries indicating that possibility such as multiple rib fractures. This report details a case of severe chest compression in a pedestrian by a heavily loaded truck. Generally, cervical lung herniation is relatively rare; most instances of lung herniation tend to be thoracic (not diaphragmatic or cervical).