A Sergeant First Class assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, died in an off-duty PMV-2 mishap 17 October 2020 in Fountain, Colorado, at 1700 local. The Soldier and three other riders were operating their motorcycles when an aggressive driver attempted to pass on the left shoulder, according to witnesses. The driver made a right turn back into traffic, striking the lead motorcycle riders who were riding in pairs. The Soldier and another rider were forced into the opposite lane and into a ditch before their motorcycles came to rest. A witness who was emergency medical technician-qualified stopped to render aid. The Soldier was pronounced dead at the scene while the other rider suffered a concussion, contusions and bruises. The driver left the scene, but was arrested the following day. The Soldier was wearing personal protective equipment and completed the required Motorcycle Safety Foundation training courses. Speed, alcohol and drug involvement are not currently suspected to have contributed to the mishap, which is under investigation.
Since FY16, the Army has lost an average of 27 Soldiers a year to PMV-2 mishaps. This was the third fatal off-duty PMV-2 mishap of FY21 and above the number of fatalities from this same time frame last year.

Create a space cushion around your vehicle.
A space cushion is a buffer around your vehicle that you maintain to allow room to maneuver, if necessary. Know what is in your space cushion, scan frequently and maintain awareness of other vehicles.

-Keep at least a three-second following distance in front of you — four or five seconds in inclement weather.

-If another vehicle is tailgating you, use your turn signal and change lanes as soon as it is safe to do so.

-If a driver near you is operating their vehicle erratically or aggressively, put distance between you and the other driver by slowing down or changing lanes.

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