Risk Management Magazine

On Jan. 26, 2020, basketball legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter and several others were killed in an inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions (IIMC) helicopter crash in Southern California. That same day, an assault company came close to suffering the same fate.

About 2330, our sleep was interrupted by a knock on the door. A Soldier from another unit was looking for me. He was clearly nervous, and his panicked demeanor immediately raised concern. He explained that his two-vehicle element, unfamiliar with the routes and disoriented by the darkness, miscalculated a turn.

Why would crashes away from intersections result in fatalities? It's likely the motorcyclists weren't prepared for mid-block crashes and speeds are higher. Likewise, we tend to get complacent around alleys and driveways. This was exactly what happened to Big Red.