Two soldiers died with a dozen more injured when a US Army Light Medium Tactical Vehicle was involved in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, on Monday.
The military truck was reportedly transporting 17 troops from the 11th Airborne Division when it skidded on a dirt road and rolled over.
According to US Army Alaska spokesman John Pennell, emergency fire and medical providers responded to the accident and gave first aid to the wounded soldiers.
Two severely injured troops were flown by air ambulance to Providence Alaska Medical Center, but they did not survive the crash.
The army said the names of the casualties will not be released until their relatives are all notified.
Pennell disclosed that no other vehicles were damaged in the rollover.
“We’re a real tight-knit group in the military, so right now, the entire 11th Airborne Division is grieving and preparing to provide whatever support is necessary for the families of the deceased and to help support those who are still in the hospital and dealing with their injuries,” he told Associated Press.
‘Arctic Angels’
The 17 soldiers involved in the crash were among 7,200 troops based at Fort Wainwright, the northernmost active-duty military installation in the US.
They belong to the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 11th Airborne Division, nicknamed the “Arctic Angels.”
The soldiers were heading to the Yukon Training Center, a 270,000-acre installation for military maneuvers.
The army said it will investigate the cause of the crash. The Army Combat Readiness Center in Alabama will also send an investigatory team since there were deaths involved.
There was also no confirmation yet if the service will ground the rest of their Light Medium Tactical Vehicles.
Two Accidents in a Year
Monday’s rollover was the second deadly military-related accident in Alaska this year.
In April, three soldiers died while another one was wounded when two AH-64 Apache helicopters collided while flying to Fort Wainwright.
The road crash was also the latest in a series of accidents involving military tactical vehicles.
A High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle was involved in a training accident in Idaho, killing a cadet and injuring two others.
