The incident marks the second crash involving an American tactical vehicle in Germany this week alone
FILE PHOTO: US Army soldiers operate a Stryker armored fighting vehicle during drills at the Oberdachstetten Range Complex, Germany. May 25, 2021. © US Army / Georgios Moumoulidis
A US Army soldier stationed in Germany was killed after the armored vehicle she was traveling in was struck by a civilian semi-truck on Tuesday, according to the Pentagon and local authorities.
US Army Europe and Africa announced the fatal crash in a statement on Wednesday, noting that it took place on a freeway in Germany’s Bavaria region the day prior. US officials have declined to name the service member pending notification of her next of kin, though German police confirmed she was a 24-year-old female.
“The soldier was traveling in a Stryker when a civilian semi-truck struck the military vehicle as it merged onto Autobahn 93,” the military said in a press release, referring to a type of armored fighting vehicle. “Civilian medical personnel treated and transported the soldier to a local hospital, where the medical staff pronounced the service member dead.”
Assigned to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, the victim was peering out of the Stryker’s roof hatch at the time of the collision, with its heavy door hitting her in the head and inflicting such serious injuries that “she died a short time later in a nearby hospital,” according to Juergen Harwardt, chief superintendent of the Weiden police.
Local law enforcement added that the crash occurred after the armored vehicle merged onto the highway as part of a convoy, saying a German truck driver was unable to switch lanes in time. It is unclear whether the soldier was wearing a helmet during the wreck.
No other injuries among US troops were reported following the smash-up.
The US military is currently conducting a round of drills in Germany, with the southeastern town of Weiden located not far from the Grafenwoehr Training Area, the largest Army training site in Europe.
Last week saw another crash involving US Army personnel stationed in the area, after a driver lost control of a light medium tactical vehicle while on the way to a range near the Grafenwoehr complex. Though the vehicle overturned, the eight soldiers inside sustained only minor injuries.
Tuesday’s accident also follows an incident earlier this year which saw two Army trucks carrying “tons of missiles and munitions” collide on a German freeway, as reported by Stars and Stripes. One American soldier was seriously injured in the crash and required an airlift to a hospital, while three others were wounded less severely.
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