PLR 21-055 - PMV-4 Mishap Claims One Soldier's Life

A Private First Class assigned to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, died in a PMV-4 mishap 17 April 2021 in Newport News, Virginia, at 1930 local. The Soldier lost control of his vehicle and struck a light/utility post. Local authorities reported that speed was a contributing factor to the mishap. At this time, it is unknown if alcohol was involved or who discovered the mishap and called 911. Due to the severity of the mishap, the Soldier had to be extracted from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The unit and safety point of contact are waiting for the local authorities to release their report.

Since 2016, the Army has lost an average of 33 Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 24th PMV-4 fatality of FY21.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding endangers everyone on the road. In 2018, speeding killed 9,378 people. We all know the frustrations of modern life and juggling a busy schedule, but speed limits are put in place to protect all road users. Learn about the dangers of speeding and why faster doesn’t mean safer.

For more than two decades, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities. In 2018, speeding was a contributing factor in 26% of all traffic fatalities.

Speed also affects your safety even when you are driving at the speed limit but too fast for road conditions, such as during bad weather, when a road is under repair or in an area at night that isn’t well lit.

Speeding is a type of aggressive driving behavior. Several factors have contributed to an overall rise in aggressive driving:

• Traffic — Traffic congestion is one of the most frequently mentioned contributing factors to aggressive driving, such as speeding. Drivers may respond by using aggressive driving behaviors, including speeding, changing lanes frequently or becoming angry at anyone who they believe impedes their progress.
• Running late — Some people drive aggressively because they have too much to do and are running late for work, school, their next meeting, a soccer game or other appointments.
• Anonymity — A motor vehicle insulates the driver from the world. Shielded from the outside environment, a driver can develop a sense of detachment, as if an observer of their surroundings rather than a participant. This can lead to some people feeling less constrained in their behavior when they cannot be seen by others and/or when it is unlikely they will ever again see those who witness their behavior.
• Disregard for others and the law — Most motorists rarely drive aggressively, and some never do. For others, episodes of aggressive driving are frequent, and for a small proportion of motorists, it is their usual driving behavior. Occasional episodes of aggressive driving — such as speeding and changing lanes abruptly — might occur in response to specific situations, like when the driver is late for an important appointment, but is not the driver’s normal behavior.