Marine dies in vehicle rollover incident during training exercise at California combat center
Marine officials are investigating what caused the accident in desert area of the state
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Marine has been killed in a Humvee vehicle rollover during a training exercise at a combat center in California, military officials say.
The unidentified Marine was assigned to a ‘Tactical Training Exercise Control Group’ in Twentynine Palms on Saturday when the fatal accident incident happened.
Marine Corps officials said that the victim was involved in a vehicle rollover with a high mobility, multipurpose wheeled vehicle at the center during a service-level training exercise.
The Marine was treated at the Robert E Bush Naval Hospital in Twentynine Palms before he was medically evacuated to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, officials said.
It was at the second hospital where the Marine was pronounced deceased on Sunday.
No other Marines were injured in the incident, officials said.
We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the Marine during this difficult time,” the Twentynine Palms combat center said in their statement.
They added they will not be releasing the identity of the service member until 24 hours after all next of kin have been notified.
The cause of the vehicle rollover is still under investigation.
In 2021, a report released by the US Government Accountability Office revealed the frequency of in-training accidents involving tactical vehicles.
Between 2010 and 2019, the Army and Marine Corps reported 3,753 non-combat accidents resulting in 123 servicemember deaths involving tanks, trucks and other tactical vehicles.
The report claims that driver inattention, supervision lapses, and training shortfalls were common causes of these accidents.
This is not the first time this year that a Marine has died during a training exercise on US military grounds.
Seargent Colin Arslanbas was killed during a parachute mishap in a training accident at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina on April 18, officials from the II Marine Expeditionary Force said.
The Marine was assigned to the Maritime Special Purpose Force, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit at the time.
Arslanbas, from Missouri, was only promoted to the rank of Seargent just weeks before the tragic loss of his life.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments