Career
Between 1960 and 1975, while a biomechanics professor at Detroit"s Wayne State University, Patrick described his work by saying "I was a human crash-test dummy", Patrick allowed himself to be subject to rocket sled rides, crushing blows to the head and body, and other forms of physical abuse in an effort to develop a body of data on how the human body responded in a vehicle accident. One of his students, Harold Mertz, went on to develop Hybrid III, the current worldwide standard crash test dummy. Lawrence also subjected himself to a 50 pound pendulum to the breast plate to test the effects of a steering column on a human.
Lawrence died of Parkinson"s Disease on April 30, 2006 at the age of 85.
