Two Marines are dead and 17 injured after a medium tactical vehicle replacement (MTVR) rolled over in a highway crash near Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. on Wednesday.
A statement released late Wednesday revealed that two Marines died at the scene of the accident. Two critically injured Marines were transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, N.C., and 15 Marines were transported to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune in stable condition.
“All casualties were active duty service members with 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina,” the statement said.
The 2nd Marine Logistics Group (2nd MLG) first announced the incident at 2:24 pm on Wednesday, tweeting, “We are aware of a vehicle rollover in Jacksonville, North Carolina, involving service members with 2nd MLG. We are working closely with @camp_lejeune and Onslow County officials to gather details regarding this incident. We will release more information as it becomes available.”
“We can confirm multiple casualties as a result of this incident,” the Marine unit added. “More information will be posted here as it becomes available.”
The crash occurred at around 1:00 p.m. EST at the intersection of U.S. 17 and Highway 210, near the Stone Bay area of the base.
The MTVR is also referred to as a “7-ton” and is used for transporting troops and equipment.
NC Highway Patrol Sgt. Devin Rich said the 7-ton truck was carrying 19 Marines and was making a right-hand turn onto U.S. 17 when it lost control and rolled over, WITN reported. The Marines inside were thrown from the vehicle.
A Twitter user shared two photos of the crash site.
Rich told WITN the investigation of the crash is ongoing “but we do know it was a little too fast for the right turn.”
Rollover incidents are not uncommon for military vehicles.
A U.S. Army soldier was killed in a vehicle rollover incident in Afghanistan in July 2020. Another soldier was killed in a vehicle rollover incident in Syria in January 2020.
Three soldiers were killed when their M2 Bradley fighting vehicle rolled off of a bridge at Fort Stewart, Georgia in October 2019.
A West Point cadet was also killed in a rollover accident in June 2019. The cadet was training with soldiers at Fort Stewart at the time. The Fort Stewart soldier who drove the vehicle was ultimately sentenced to three years in confinement for the cadet’s death and for the injuries to the 21 other passengers.
The number of military vehicle rollover incidents led Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) to call on the military to reform its vehicle training in 2020.
