Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

A 29-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, died in an automobile mishap 1 June 2025 in El Paso, Texas, at 0200 local. During the mishap sequence, the Soldier’s vehicle overturned and caught fire. Additional information is currently unavailable.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to automobile mishaps. This mishap was the 20th automobile fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this time last year.

A 20-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, died in an automobile mishap 25 May 2025 in Junction City, Kansas, at 0230 local. The Soldier was driving alone at a high rate of speed when his vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. The mishap is under investigation and further details are currently unavailable.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to automobile mishaps. This mishap was the 19th automobile fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this time last year. 

Safety Tips

Driving while drowsy is similar to driving under the influence of alcohol. Drivers’ reaction times, hazard awareness and ability to sustain attention all worsen the drowsier the driver. Driving after going more than 20 hours without sleep is the equivalent of driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% — the U.S. legal limit.

A driver might not even know when he or she is fatigued because signs of fatigue are hard to identify. Some people may also experience micro-sleep — short, involuntary periods of inattention. In the four or five seconds a driver experiences micro-sleep at highway speed, the vehicle will travel the length of a football field.

Speeding endangers everyone on the road. In 2023, speeding killed 11,775 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. For more than two decades, speeding has been involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities. In 2023, speeding was a contributing factor in 29% 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 at night in an area that isn’t well lit. Speeding endangers not only the life of the speeder, but also all of the people on the road around them, including law enforcement officers.

Source: Tips from NSC and NHTSA

A 19-year-old Specialist assigned to the Arkansas Army National Guard, Camp Robinson, Arkansas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 4 May 2025 in Little Rock, Arkansas, at 1900 local. The Soldier was driving to his home of record from battle assembly weekend when he rear-ended a stopped tractor-trailer. Additional information is currently unavailable.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 18th PMV-4 fatality of FY25 and below the number of PMV-4 fatalities for this time last year.

Safety Tips

Drowsy driving kills, but it is preventable. Read below for three factors commonly associated with drowsy-driving crashes and pick up some helpful tips to avoid falling asleep at the wheel.

Crashes and Fatalities

Sleepiness can result in crashes any time of the day or night, but three factors are most commonly associated with drowsy-driving crashes. Drowsy-driving crashes:

1. Occur most frequently between midnight and 6 a.m., or in the late afternoon. At both times of the day, people experience dips in their circadian rhythm — the human body’s internal clock that regulates sleep.
2. Often involve only a single driver (and no passengers) running off the road at a high rate of speed with no evidence of braking.
3. Frequently occur on rural roads and highways.

How to Avoid Driving Drowsy

1. Getting adequate sleep on a daily basis is the only true way to protect yourself against the risks of driving when you’re drowsy. Experts urge consumers to make it a priority to get seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
2. Before the start of a long family car trip, get a good night’s sleep, or you could put your entire family and others at risk.
3. Many teens do not get enough sleep at a stage in life when their biological need for sleep increases, which makes them vulnerable to the risk of drowsy-driving crashes, especially on longer trips. Advise your teens to delay driving until they’re well-rested.
4. Avoid drinking any alcohol before driving. Consumption of alcohol interacts with sleepiness to increase drowsiness and impairment.
5. Always check your prescription and over-the-counter medication labels to see if drowsiness could result from their use.
6. If you take medications that could cause drowsiness as a side effect, use public transportation when possible.
7. If you drive, avoid driving during the peak sleepiness periods (midnight – 6 a.m. and late afternoon). If you must drive during the peak sleepiness periods, stay vigilant for signs of drowsiness, such as crossing over roadway lines or hitting a rumble strip, especially if you’re driving alone.

A 29-year-old Private First Class assigned to U.S. Army Reserve Center, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, died in a PMV-4 mishap 4 May 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 0142 local. The Soldier was driving his privately owned vehicle when he struck a concrete barrier at a high rate of speed. Additional information is currently unavailable.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 17th PMV-4 fatality of FY25 and below the number of PMV-4 fatalities for this same time last year.

12 Safety Tips for Driving at Night

It’s not just paranoia: Driving at night is actually more dangerous. Fatal accidents are three times more likely at night compared with the daytime, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Ironically, some kinds of light — like the glare from too-bright lights — can compound the problem. But other factors add to the challenge of driving at night. Here are 12 tips that could help reduce the risk.

1. Be extra defensive
2. Combat fatigue
3. Clean up your view
4. Avoid two-lane highways
5. Slow down
6. Angle your headlights correctly
7. Use high beams when appropriate
8. Tweak your inside lighting
9. Look in the right direction
10. Watch for wildlife
11. Take care of your eyes
12. Test and use your lights

Tips provided by NHTSA, NSC, IIHS and GEICO Living article

A 34-year-old Private First Class assigned to Fort Cavazos, Texas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 8 March 2025 in Houston, Texas, at 1500 local. The Soldier was on his way to a baseball game with his son when another motorist ran a red light and collided with his vehicle. The Houston Police Department responded and pronounced the Soldier dead at the scene. The incident is currently under investigation and no additional information is available at this time.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 16th PMV-4 fatality of FY25 and below the number of PMV-4 fatalities for this same time last year.

Safety tip

Intersecting roadways are necessary to connect people driving, walking and bicycling from one route to another. However, where roads intersect and paths cross, the resulting conflict points create circumstances where crashes can occur. In fact, each year roughly one-quarter of traffic fatalities and about one-half of all traffic injuries in the United States are attributed to intersections.

Avoid an accident at an intersection:

1. Pay attention to your surroundings. You need to look in every direction as you approach an intersection. Be aware that a tree, building or other cars could block your view. You want to look for traffic signals, signs, approaching vehicles and especially pedestrians. In 2019, 26% of pedestrian accident deaths occurred at intersections.
2. Be prepared to stop. You shouldn’t speed through intersections. You need to be prepared to stop your vehicle if you notice a pedestrian quickly entering the intersection or a vehicle that isn’t stopping or making an illegal turn.
3. Carefully enter an intersection after you have stopped. You might not realize that one of the biggest dangers at an intersection is after you’ve stopped for a red light or stop sign. You need to slowly enter an intersection when a light turns green or after stopping at a stop sign. Another vehicle may not be out of the intersection yet or may speed through a stop sign or traffic signal.
4. Maintain extra space between your car and the vehicle in front of you. Rear-end accidents are common near intersections, so you want to ensure you have enough space to stop quickly if you need to.
5. Use your turn signals. You want drivers around you to know where you are headed at an intersection. Make sure to use your turn signal if you are turning left, right or switching lanes as you approach an intersection.

Tips provided by the Federal Highway Administration