Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

A 21-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, died in a PMV-4 mishap 24 February 2025 in Halifax, North Carolina, at 0222 local. The Soldier was driving his vehicle when it departed the roadway and struck a parked tow truck. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene. Seat belt use, speed and alcohol or drug involvement are currently unknown.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 15th PMV-4 fatality of FY25 and below the number of PMV-4 fatalities for this same time last year.

Safety tip

Drowsy driving kills — but is preventable. Learn about three factors commonly associated with drowsy-driving crashes and pick up some helpful tips to avoid falling asleep at the wheel. In this section, you’ll also find several resources and learn what NHTSA is doing to help eliminate this risky behavior.

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. Avoid drinking any alcohol before driving. Consumption of alcohol interacts with sleepiness to increase drowsiness and impairment.
4. Always check your prescription and over-the-counter medication labels to see if drowsiness could result from their use.
5. If you take medications that could cause drowsiness as a side effect, use public transportation when possible.
6. 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.

SHORT-TERM INTERVENTIONS

1. Drinking coffee or energy drinks alone is not always enough. They might help you feel more alert, but the effects last only a short time, and you might not be as alert as you think you are. If you drink coffee and are seriously sleep-deprived, you still may have “micro sleeps” or brief losses of consciousness that can last for four or five seconds. This means that at 55 miles per hour, you’ve traveled more than 100 yards down the road while asleep. That’s plenty of time to cause a crash.
2. If you start to get sleepy while you’re driving, drink one to two cups of coffee and pull over for a short 20-minute nap in a safe place, such as a lighted, designated rest stop. This has been shown to increase alertness in scientific studies, but only for short time periods.

 

 

A Major assigned to Fort Drum, New York, died in a PMV-4 mishap 9 February 2025 in Clay, New York, at 0245 local. The Soldier’s vehicle collided with a snowplow truck and caught fire. Emergency services were called, but the vehicle was fully engulfed by the time they arrived. The Soldier was pronounced dead at the scene. Seat belt use, speed and alcohol or drug involvement are currently unknown.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 14th PMV-4 fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this same time last year.

Safety tip

Given their size and slow speed when on the job, snowplows represent a significant driving hazard for motorists. Data from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration highlights snowplow-related crashes as a significant part of winter maintenance operations. Although exact collision rates are not always separated, winter weather accounts for around 24% of weather-related accidents, indirectly including snowplow incidents. North of the border, Transport Canada emphasizes that many of these crashes occur because drivers do not maintain enough distance behind snowplows or attempt risky maneuvers.

Be considerate when driving near snowplows

It’s natural to want to get to your destination as quickly as possible, but in winter, driving safely should be a top priority. When you see a snowplow working on the roads:
 

• Drive slowly.
• Don’t crowd the plow — stay back at least 200 feet.
• Don’t pass on the right.
• Be prepared for sudden stops.
• Make sure your headlights are on. Remember that visibility in front of the plow is often worse.
• Brush the snow off your lights and taillights regularly.
  
  Pass with extreme caution
  
  If you must pass a snowplow, do so with extreme caution. Remember that because of the poor winter driving conditions and the fact that snowplow drivers are focusing on the job at hand, they will likely not be watching for drivers in passenger vehicles. If you are on the road and contemplating passing a snowplow or salt spreader, consider the following:
   
• Road conditions will always be safer 200 feet behind the equipment.
• While passing a single salt spreader operating on a multi-lane roadway may be feasible, it’s never safe to pass a salt spreader or plow with its blade down, pushing snow.
• Never pass a group of plows that’s stretched across a roadway and engaged in plowing. They are passing hundreds of pounds of snow from vehicle to vehicle.
• Reduce your speed, pass only on the left, allow extra room for passing and, in the case of the salt spreader, prepare for salt to bounce off your car.
  
  Make sure your vehicle is not a contributing factor
  
  While driving in snowy conditions, make sure your lights are on, you have plenty of wiper fluid and your tires are in good shape — particularly the tread.
  
  To check your tread depth, find the treadwear indicator located on the bottom of the tread grooves. When they become visible with the adjacent ribs, the tire has no more than 2/32 inch of depth and should be replaced.
  
  Make sure you have plenty of fuel or are fully charged before venturing out. In the unfortunate event that you’re in a traffic jam or are diverted in a winter storm, you don’t want to be stuck without power on a cold roadway.
  
  If you find yourself out among snowplows, exercise caution, make sure you can be seen and be a good citizen by staying back to let the plows do their jobs. Remember, they’re there to help you. Drive safely!
  
  Tips provide by Element Fleet Management
   

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A Sergeant First Class assigned to the Army National Guard, Albuquerque Armory, New Mexico, died in a PMV-4 mishap 31 January 2025 in New Mexico at 1653 local. The Soldier was driving on the interstate when traffic stopped due to road construction and a semi-truck rear ended his vehicle.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 13th PMV-4 fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this same time last year.

 

 

A 33-year-old Soldier assigned to Fort Johnson, Louisiana, died in a PMV-4 mishap 4 February 2025 in Starks, Louisiana, at 1506 local. The Soldier was driving his vehicle when it departed the roadway and struck a tree. Seat belt use, speed, alcohol or drug use are currently unknown.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 12th PMV-4 fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this same time last year.

Safety tip

Distracted driving is dangerous, claiming 3,308 lives in 2022. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) leads the national effort to save lives by preventing this dangerous behavior. Get the facts, get involved and help us keep America’s roads safe.

What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.

You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing.

Driver Distraction & Electronic Device Use
Using a cellphone while driving creates enormous potential for deaths and injuries on U.S. roads. In 2022, 3,308 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

Tips provide by NHTSA.

 

 

A Specialist assigned to Fort Cavazos, Texas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 1 February 2025 in Burnet County, Texas, at 1330 local. The Soldier was involved in a head-on collision and airlifted to Dell Seton Medical Center for critical trauma treatment. He was pronounced dead after arrival. Seat belt use, speed and alcohol or drug involvement are currently unknown.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 36 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 11th PMV-4 fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this same time last year.