Shit, Claude was just a fucking hottie, wasn't he??? SWEET tummy, too.
That said, that's some kind of impact his face took. Apparently, he and his girlfriend were on a motorcycle, which collided with a car (that fled the scene), sending the lad flying into the pavement. Possibly mashed his formerly handsome face into that big white pole before cracking the back of his scull on the sidewalk (which by the way is most artistically painted by his streaming blood).
Just a thought. I don't watch CSI or anything.