Seven U.S. soldiers were injured after a group of armored military vehicles piled up on a highway in Germany Tuesday morning.
An Army spokesperson confirmed that one soldier was airlifted to a hospital, while six others were taken to hospitals in ambulances, Military Times reported.
“As of now, there are no life-threatening injuries to any of the individuals,” said Army Brig. Gen. Maurice Barnett, head of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, in a statement.
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German police initially said they were not authorized to disclose the injured soldiers’ nationalities, but German media outlets reported the vehicles in the crash belonged to the U.S. military, The Associated Press reported.
U.S. officials said the crash happened in a convoy of armored vehicles that was en route to Grafenwoehr Training Area, part of the U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria.
A Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle struck a Stryker, neither of which had any munitions on board, officials said. Police from the town of Amberg initially described the incident as “a rear-end collision involving four armored vehicles,” AP reported.
German police said “traffic-related braking” was a probable reason for the crash, though it remains under investigation, Military Times reported.
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The incident occurred around 10:55 a.m. local time on the A6 highway, which is part of Germany’s Autobahn system, according to AP. The highway reportedly remained blocked until late afternoon.
The U.S. Army announced last week that a recurring exercise called Combined Resolve would involve military convoys using public roads in the region from April 21 to May 23.
“Due to their size and weight, these vehicles will move slowly and have limited visibility. Drivers are advised to use caution when driving near military convoys,” the Army said in a press release.
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
