Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

An Active Guard Reserve Chief Warrant Officer 2 assigned to the U.S. Army Reserve in Phoenix, Arizona, died in a PMV-4 mishap 5 August 2021 in Mustang Ridge, Texas on, at approximately 1230 local. The Soldier departed his place of duty to meet his spouse for a pre-natal care appointment in Kyle, Texas. Due to heavy rain, the Soldier lost control of his vehicle, left the roadway and crashed. The Soldier’s spouse called 911 and he was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical services.

Since 2016, the Army has lost an average of 33 Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 37th PMV-4 fatality of FY21.



Tips for driving safely in the rain

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are nearly 1,235,000 automobile accidents each year related to weather. A majority of those accidents happen during rainfall (46%) and when the pavement is wet (70%).

Being behind the wheel with a rain-splattered windshield doesn't have to be an agitating, scary experience. The first step is to check your windshield wipers and replace them when streaking occurs. And while many of these other safety tips might seem like common sense, it’s always good to run through a mental checklist when driving in the rain.



Stay alert - Pay attention to what is going on around you when weather conditions aren’t ideal. Be extra cautious with merging lanes. Motorists should drive defensively, check around their vehicle and in blind spots, then take precautions when passing vehicles to prevent merging collisions.

Increase your visibility by turning on your headlights - It’s the law. All states require headlights to be on in bad weather, when visibility is low. Many states also require that when the windshield wipers are on due to bad weather, the headlights must also be on.

Beware of hydroplaning - When excess water sits on top of the road, tires can lose traction and hydroplane, causing your vehicle to slide uncontrollably. It doesn’t take much – driving 35 mph or faster with as little as one-twelfth of an inch of rain on the road makes any type of car, SUV, truck or four-wheel drive at risk for hydroplaning. Tires that have more wear also increase this risk, so be sure to check your tires' tread depth regularly.

As soon as it starts raining, slow down. If you start to hydroplane, you need to slow down even more. Begin by taking your foot off the gas pedal to allow the vehicle to slow down. Then slowly begin steering in the direction you are hydroplaning until you have control. It seems contradictory, but this actually helps your tires to realign with your vehicle – so they are both going the same direction. All steering needs to be slow. Don’t jerk the wheel or you could flip your car due to overcorrecting. Consider taking a driving course through your local DMV to learn how to drive safer on wet roads and better avoid hydroplaning. Check your local driving schools, too, to see if they offer safe-driving courses.

Slow down and turn off cruise control - Wet roads can be the most difficult to drive on. The grease and oil from cars produce a film on roads during dry conditions. When it rains, this layer becomes extremely slippery. Drive defensively in the rain and reduce your speed to below the speed limit to prevent the chance of hydroplaning. Add more car lengths between you and the car in front of you.

The cruise control should never be used during the rain. If you begin hydroplaning while the cruise control is on, you will actually be going faster. It could take a second or two for the cruise control function to disengage allowing you to take control of your vehicle and slow down. Those seconds could be critical.

Brake cautiously - One primary reason cars collide during rainstorms is because drivers slam on their brakes as if the roads were dry. The wet road causes the car to slide forward, often into the rear of another car. Brake gently and early to alert the driver behind you that you are slowing down.

Avoid the splash - The big splash you get when you drive through a huge puddle can be costly. If water enters the engine compartment of your vehicle, it can damage the internal systems. Drive around large puddles and avoid running water. Once you have safely passed, tap lightly on your brake pedal to dry off your brake rotors. If there is a middle lane, drive in it to help increase visibility and avoid deep water that might develop when rain runs off the sides of the road.

Driving in rain at night - Driving at night in the rain can be especially dangerous because of the glare of oncoming traffic, amplified by the rain on your windshield. To help reduce glare, you can dim your dashboard lights, avoid looking directly at oncoming headlights and clean both the inside and outside of your windshield. Be sure to use the ventilation system to help with the fog that might form on the inside of your windows.


Extra precautions might help ease the anxiety associated with driving in the rain, making it safer for everyone. If a crash does happen, make sure you know the steps to take afterward.

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A Staff Sergeant on PCS leave from Camp Carroll, South Korea, died in a PMV-4 mishap 4 August 2021 in Augusta, Georgia, at 0658 local. The specific circumstances of the mishap, including the Soldier’s use of seat belt, speed and alcohol/drugs as contributing factors are unknown at this time. The unit/safety points of contact are waiting for local law enforcement 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 36th PMV-4 fatality of FY21.

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A Staff Sergeant assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia, died in a PMV-2 mishap 1 August 2021 in Stewart County, Georgia, at 0110 local. The Soldier was traveling northbound on the wrong side of the road and struck a civilian pickup truck head-on. A civilian in the truck called 911. Emergency medical services and the Georgia State Patrol pronounced the Soldier dead at the scene. Speed and alcohol/drugs are not suspected as contributing factors to the mishap. The Soldier was wearing the required personal protective equipment and completed the required Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses. No injuries were reported for the civilians in the truck.

Since 2016, the Army has lost an average of 27 Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-2 mishaps. This mishap was the 20th off-duty PMV-2 fatality of FY21.


Motorcycle Safety Tips

Of the 20 PMV-2 mishaps this fiscal year, eight occurred during the hours of darkness, involving seven fatalities and one permanent partial disability (loss of leg below the knee). Three involved speeding, and alcohol may be involved in two others. Below are some tips to help you survive riding at night.

1. Lights and action:
Dirt and bugs caked on headlights can reduce how much light you have out front. It is critical to make sure your bike’s lights are working, properly aimed and have clean, intact lenses.

Carry spare bulbs and correct lighting circuit fuses in your pack. Finding a place to get those items after hours can be tough, particularly out on rural rides. Consider upgrading the bulb in older bike lighting systems. Halogens, other bulbs or even LED options may be available to upgrade from older-style sealed beam or incandescent units. These bulbs can throw a lot more light, depending on the make and year of your bike.

Check brake and turn signal lights to ensure they are working properly. Keeping the bike’s side-facing reflectors intact and visible is also important to being safe after dark. Reflective tape can be added to improve the visibility of the bike to other motorists.

2. See and be seen:
High-visibility and light-colored riding gear can make the rider more visible to other riders and drivers. In low and fading light or foggy conditions, fluorescent colors seem to glow by absorbing short-wavelength light not visible to the human eye and re-radiating it as long-wavelength light the human eye can see.

Jackets made with fluorescent colors in combination with retroreflective materials in logos, stripes or piping can make a rider highly visible at long range in another vehicle’s headlights. While you’re at it, don’t forget to gear up. This includes boots, stout riding pants, gloves, jacket, helmet, eye protection, and CE-approved impact protection.

3. Be visionary:
Those dark wrap-around sunglasses or that slick, but dark reflective helmet shield work great at high noon, but can be potential contributors to disaster late in the day or after dark. Have a backup plan for maximizing your vision with clear shatterproof riding glasses and/or clear helmet shield for the long ride home.

A photochromatic shield may also be an option. If you ride with a windshield and actually look through it instead of over it, keep that windshield clean. Even a moderate sized bug splat on the windshield creates a view obstruction covering square feet of area down the road.

Any roadside hazard — like a deer, coyote, raccoon or dog poised to kiss your front tire — can be difficult to see in broad daylight. Seeing them after dark requires giving yourself every advantage you can. Lots of wildlife becomes more active after dark, so seeing those critters at the roadside in time can make all the difference.

4. Lose speed, not control:
Highway-speed driving with anything after dark is more risky than it is in the daylight hours, but on a motorcycle, high speed alone can erase the positive safety effects of everything else you may do. The answer is simple; keep your travel speed down on the straights and even more so in the corners.

Stretch your following distances with other vehicles — the other drivers can’t see as well, either, so unexpected things looming in the headlights are more likely to cause them to panic stop. On roads that are unfamiliar, this becomes a critical factor; an innocent decreasing-radius corner that is simply fun to carve in daylight can fool you past the fog line and into the trees after dark.

5. Absolute sobriety:
Driving any motor vehicle with booze or any other intoxicants on board is inviting disaster; riding a motorcycle at night under those circumstances defies common sense.

So, if you’re going to be a night rider, even for a relatively short distance, slow down, gear up, stay straight and enjoy the ride safely because there will always be more great day rides, too!

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A Specialist and Sergeant First Class assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 18 July 2021 in El Paso, Texas, at 0345 local. A Soldier was driving his PMV with one Soldier, believed to be the front-seat passenger, and one Soldier and civilian as back seat passengers, when they were involved in a multi-vehicle mishap. The driver and front-seat passenger were pronounced dead at the scene, requiring dental forensic identification. The Soldier in the backseat was transported to the local medical center for non-fatal injuries. Their medical prognosis is favorable; however, potential for a disability cannot be determined at this time. The civilian passenger was ejected from the vehicle. There is no clear indication of what caused the mishap, which is currently being investigated by the El Paso Police Department (EPPD). The division has initiated a line-of-duty investigation, and subordinate units have executed casualty assistance procedures to notify and assist surviving family members and units/Soldiers affected by the loss. The unit/safety points of contact are waiting for EPPD to release its official report. Alcohol as a contributing factor is unknown at this time, pending the medical examiner’s release of the toxicology report. Seat belt use is undetermined due to a post-crash fire.

Since 2016, the Army has lost an average of 33 Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 34th and 35th PMV-4 fatalities of FY21.


How to be a better passenger

Share the responsibilities:
Making yourself useful – whether you offer to operate the navigation or act as another set of eyes for the driver – can help avoid any accidents that would have happened due to distraction or driver fatigue. Keeping watch for any diversions and reading road signs will also help the driver to focus on the task at hand.

Banish backseat driving:
Keeping a watchful eye for things the driver might miss is helpful; criticizing every move the driver makes could be harmful. If the driver gets frustrated or annoyed, the likelihood is they’ll pay less attention to the road, which could lead to an easily avoidable accident.

Stay Alert – Avoid Distractions:
Distractions are everywhere today and becoming more and more difficult to avoid. Remember that, as a pedestrian, your eyes and ears are your best tools for keeping safe. Stay alert and watch out.

-Avoid distractions while operating a vehicle.
-Your focus should be on the task of driving safely.
-Pay attention to your surroundings, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the area you’re driving in.
-Focus as far to your front as possible, using peripheral vision to scan for obstacles.
-Maintain the posted speed limit.
-Always wear your seat belt and ensure your passengers do the same.

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A Sergeant assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia, died in a sports, recreation and physical training mishap in Lacey, Washington, 12 July 2021 at 1500 local. The Soldier was kayaking alone on Hicks Lake when the kayak overturned. An unknown person reported the Soldier’s overturned kayak to the Lacey Police Department (LPD). The LPD searched the shoreline, reviewed surveillance video and conducted a shallow-water dive, but were unsuccessful in locating the Soldier. His body was found the following day by the LPD during a deep-water search operation. Specific circumstances of the mishap, including alcohol/drugs as contributing factors and/or if other Soldiers were present, are unknown.

Since FY16, the Army has lost an average of 12 Soldiers a year to off-duty sports, recreation and physical training mishaps. This tragedy was the seventh fatal off-duty sports, recreation and physical training mishap of FY21.


Water Safety Tips:

Wear a kayaking-specific life jacket at all times – No excuses! Regardless of your swimming abilities or kayaking skill level, wearing a well-fitting, properly maintained and suitable buoyancy aid could save your life.

Never drink alcohol and paddle - Alcohol is a depressant; it slows your response times, impairs decision-making and negatively affects coordination.

Always wear appropriate clothing for the conditions (and your needs) - When deciding what to wear for a kayaking trip, you must take into account the time of year, water temperature and weather conditions. Clothing should be able to provide protection from the sun, wind and other elements.

Don’t go solo - A buddy rescue is faster than a self-rescue, and there’s no such thing as a self-tow if you’re hurt

Always tell someone where you are going and when you will be back - They can notify the Coast Guard or other rescue organization if you fail to check in according to the plan.

Learn basic kayaking safety skills - A class will teach the basics such as how to brace in rough water; what equipment is needed for river versus lake kayaking or ocean paddling; essential paddle techniques; and the fundamentals of how to roll a kayak.

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