A U.S. soldier from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment was killed in a tragic accident on August 1, 2023, when the Stryker vehicle she was traveling in collided with a truck on highway A93 near Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Germany.
The armored vehicle was part of a military convoy that was merging onto the highway at around 11:15 a.m. According to Weiden highway police, the collision occurred when a 57-year-old German truck driver in the right lane was unable to switch lanes in time.
During the collision, the soldier, who was 24 years old, was looking out of the roof hatch of the vehicle. Tragically, the heavy hatch struck her in the head, resulting in her death in a nearby hospital.
The authorities are currently investigating the incident and no information on whether the soldier was wearing a helmet has been disclosed.
Fortunately, there were no other injuries reported among the military personnel or the German truck driver involved in the accident.
The highway was closed for several hours as German and U.S. Army military police conducted their investigation.
The soldier’s identity is being withheld until her next-of-kin is notified.
Weiden is located about 30 minutes away from the Grafenwoehr Training Area, the largest U.S. Army training post in Europe.
This accident is the second tactical vehicle crash involving Army troops during training in Bavaria within a week. Other nonfatal accidents have also occurred, including an armored vehicle crash in Amberg in April and a military transport rollover near Vilseck on Thursday.
Tragically, this incident marks the third motor vehicle-related death of a U.S. soldier in the German state this year.