Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

A Specialist assigned to Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Washington, died in a PMV-4 mishap 5 May 2021 in Sparta, Georgia, at 1530 local. While on leave, the Soldier was driving to his parent’s house in Ellaville, Georgia, when he was involved in a head-on vehicle collision suffering fatal injuries. The specific circumstances of the mishap, including speed, seat belt use, and alcohol as contributing factors, are unknown at this time. Army notification of the mishap was provided to the 201st Expeditionary Military Intelligence Brigade at approximately 1720. Additionally, the JBLM and Fort Gordon Casualty Assistance Center offices, as well as other government agencies, were notified. The safety POC is awaiting local law enforcement to release information.

Since 2016, the Army has lost an average of 33 Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 28th PMV-4 fatality of FY21.



Stay Alert – Avoid Distractions

1. Never drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
2. Avoid distractions while operating a vehicle.
3. Your focus should be on the task of driving safely.
4. Pay attention to your surroundings, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the area where you’re driving.
5. Focus as far to your front as possible using peripheral vision to scan for obstacles.
6. Maintain the posted speed limit.
7. Always wear your seat belt and ensure your passengers do the same.

• The Travel Risk Planning System (TRiPS), although no longer required, is an excellent tool to assist in planning your trip. For more information on TRiPS, visit
https://trips.safety.army.mil/TRiPS

• Build time into your trip schedule to stop for food, rest breaks, phone calls or other business.

• Pull over to eat or drink. It takes only a few minutes.

• Check your route of travel for weather conditions and road construction and plan alternate routes should you need to get off a heavily congested roadway.

• Technology can be an asset if used wisely, whether you use traditional road maps or GPS navigation, plan which route you’ll take ahead of time. This step lets you know which roads you’ll take along your trip. As you plan ahead, you can research the traffic levels of these roads so you can drive safer.

• If you use GPS, your navigation system may even be able to tell you which roads are under construction. When you avoid driving through construction sites, you greatly reduce your risk of accidents and injury.

• If possible, avoid driving at night. Driving conditions are more hazardous at night. Nocturnal animals could wander onto the road. A speeding driver may hit an obstacle and cause an accident.

• Before your trip, look into hotels along your route so you don’t have to make too big of a detour. Additionally, booking a hotel in advance can make stopping at night much easier.

•If your trip is a long one, switch between drivers. Staring at the open road for hours on end can make you drowsy. To avoid falling asleep behind the wheel, switch between drivers every few hours if possible. If you’re driving alone, stop at a rest stop or gas station every couple of hours to stretch your legs and take a break.

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A Private assigned to Camp Ederle died in a PMV-4 mishap on 1 May 2021 in Vicenza, Italy. At 2330, multiple authorities, including the Military Police, a traffic accident investigator and the local police responded to the report of a vehicle mishap. Upon arrival, they discovered a single vehicle occupied by three Soldiers. The initial report indicated the driver became distracted when he glanced at his phone, causing him to drive off the road, strike a parked car and overturn. The driver is suspected of driving under the influence after patrols administered a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT) and he registered a .104 blood alcohol content (BAC). Neither passengers were wearing their seat belts. One of the passengers was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and other passenger were transported to the local hospital and received treatment for non-fatal injuries. The investigation is ongoing and pending the results of the local report.

In Italy, a reading of .05 on a blood alcohol test is grounds for a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) offense. Also, in accordance with Italian law, there is a zero tolerance for personnel who are 26 years old and younger or have had their license for three years or less.

Since 2016, the Army has lost an average of 33 Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap is the 27th PMV-4 fatality of FY21.



Per AR 385-10 Chapter 11

11–4. Safe motor vehicle operations
a. Occupant protection (HSPG Number 20).

(1) Occupant protective devices will be worn by all persons in or on an Army-owned motor vehicle whether on or off the installation.
(2) All personnel, to include Family members, guests, and visitors, will wear occupant protective devices at all times on an Army installation.
(3) Occupant protective devices will be worn by all Soldiers driving or riding in a PMV whether on or off the installation.



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.

Seat belts
Drilled into us since childhood, this one should be obvious but is worth repeating: wear your seat belt. It's the driver's legal responsibility to passengers are properly belted but if the driver doesn’t you as a passenger can ensure everyone is wearing their seat belt.

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A Specialist assigned to Fort Hood, Texas died in a PMV-4 mishap 26 April 2021 in New Braunfels, Texas. At 0715, the New Braunfels Police Department (NBPD) responded to a single vehicle mishap. Upon arriving to the scene, the NBPD Officer discovered that the Soldier was trapped in his vehicle and notified Emergency Medical Services. When EMS arrived, he was pronounced dead, extracted out of the vehicle, and transported to the Sunset Funeral Home in San Antonio, TX. The Soldier was later identified through his driver’s license and other paperwork in the vehicle. At 0908, the Fort Hood police desk received notification of the mishap from the NBPD Officer on scene. Shortly after, Fort Hood Directorate of Emergency Services, Station Operations notified the chain of command. At this time, specific information and factors that contributed to the mishap are unavailable. The safety point of contact is awaiting the results of the investigation.

Since 2016, the Army has lost an average of 33 Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap is the 26th PMV-4 fatality of FY21.

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A Private First Class assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, died 23 April 2021 from injuries sustained in a PMV-4 mishap three weeks earlier in Wayne County, Illinois, at 2240 local. The Soldier was operating her vehicle on 2 April when she ran a red light and was struck by another vehicle. She was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. Due to complications and her medical prognosis, the Soldier was removed from life support and pronounced dead shortly afterward. The Soldier was reportedly wearing a seat belt during the mishap, which is under investigation. An occupant in the other vehicle died and two others were injured.

Since 2016, the Army has lost an average of 33 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 25th PMV-4 fatality of FY21.

1. Recognize the “Dilemma Zone”
You’re approaching an intersection, and the light changes from green to yellow. You’re already too close to stop comfortably, but can you make it across the intersection before the light turns red? We’ve all been there, and traffic engineers actually have a name for this phenomenon; it’s called the dilemma zone. It’s a theoretical area about 2.5 to 5.5 seconds away from the stop line, where drivers have a 10 to 90 percent probability of stopping.

When a yellow light is too short, drivers can neither stop safely nor cross the intersection completely before the light turns red. By implementing a longer yellow signal, the dilemma zone can actually be eliminated. But we’re only human, and that moment of indecision can’t be completely eliminated. Instead, the dilemma zone can become an “option zone,” where the yellow light is long enough that within that time and distance, either choice is safe and legal.

2. Know Yellow Light Laws
Approaching that yellow light can be even more nerve-racking if you’re not completely sure what it means. Do you have to stop if it’s safe to do so? What if the light turns red while you’re in the intersection? The answers to these questions vary from state to state.

There are three basic types of laws governing what drivers have to do at a yellow light:
In Louisiana, Rhode Island, Tennessee and West Virginia, drivers may not be in the intersection at all while the signal is red. This means that it’s only legal to enter the intersection on yellow if it can be entirely cleared before the light changes to red.

In Connecticut, Iowa, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, Oregon, Virginia and Wisconsin, drivers may only enter the intersection on yellow unless it is impossible or unsafe to stop.

In the remaining 37 states and Washington, DC, drivers may enter the intersection on a yellow light. Drivers may also legally be in the intersection while the red signal is displayed, as long as they entered while the light was still yellow.

3. Control Your Speed
Speed has a major impact on how efficiently and safely you can travel through stoplights.
Traffic engineers set the length of yellow and all-red signals based on how fast vehicles on the road are expected to travel, and the safe stopping distance they’ll need at that speed. Often, the posted speed limit is used as the assumed approach speed. If you’re driving faster than that speed limit, you’ll need a longer stopping distance, and the yellow light may not be long enough for you to come to a safe stop before the light turns red.

Driving the speed limit can even help you get to your destination faster and more efficiently. Many cities time green lights for vehicles going at or a little below the posted speed limit. As you may have noticed on streets you drive often, if you maintain just the right speed, you can catch a bunch of green lights in a row.

4. Never Drive Drowsy or Distracted
We’ve posted in the past about the danger of driving while using your cellphone, about other driving distractions like tending to child passengers and getting lost in your own thoughts, and about drowsiness, so we’ll keep this reminder brief. It only takes a few seconds for the light to change from green, to yellow, to red, and when we’re not paying full attention, it can be easy for a red light to escape our notice completely. Don’t risk it. Only drive when you’re alert and rested. If you absolutely must use your phone, find a safe place to stop.
Remember, intersections are the number one place for crashes to occur, so always be aware of other drivers and road users, even if it’s legally your turn to cross!

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A Specialist assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, died in a military parachuting mishap 19 April 2021 on Sicily Drop Zone (DZ) at approximately 1240 local. The Soldier was conducting a static-line jump from a UH-60. She was found on Sicily DZ entangled in her parachute with no pulse. The Soldier was medically evacuated to Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg, where she was pronounced dead.

Since FY16, the Army has averaged one military parachuting fatality per year. This was the first military parachuting fatality of FY21 and less than the number of similar mishaps during the same time period last year.

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