On Jan. 19, 2022, in North Carolina around 1:10 p.m., two active-duty U.S Marines were killed and more than a dozen were injured in a military vehicle crash. Fox News has confirmed that the driver is facing a misdemeanor charge in their deaths. Sgt. Devin Rich with highway patrol told Fox News two people were airlifted to local hospitals and about a dozen more people were treated on the scene.
State Highway Patrol told Fox News in a statement that a seven-ton military vehicle was turning right onto U.S 17 from highway 210 when it overturned into the median of U.S 17. The turn ejected 17 people who were in the back of the vehicle. A second military vehicle behind the first vehicle could not stop in time and struck one of the ejected passengers, State Highway Patrol said. The drivers and passengers in the military vehicles are members of the U.S Marine Corps operating out of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.
Highway State Police said the proximate cause of the accident is exceeding a safe speed for the turn. Identities of the deceased will not be released at this time. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety spokesperson told Fox News Digital, the driver of the overturned vehicle has been identified as 19-year-old Louis Barrera from Springfield, Tenne. Barrera is charged with one count of exceeding a safe speed and two counts of misdemeanor death by motor vehicle. Rich stated that the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and NCIS are investigating the accident.