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thedrifter
02-12-07, 06:50 AM
Eleven Marines recovering from crash - Marine who died in crash identified

By: SARAH WILKINS - Staff Writer

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR ---- Eleven Marine reservists remain hospitalized and are recovering after a 7-ton truck crashed during a training exercise early Saturday morning, injuring 19 Marines and killing one, officials said Sunday.

The reservists, all members of the 4th Tank Battalion, were part of a six-vehicle convoy travelling at 3:25 a.m. when their truck went off a dirt road and rolled over, killing Lance Cpl. J. Gomez, of Southern California, said Maj. Todd Sudmeyer.

No further information was provided on Gomez "in order to respect the privacy of his family," Sudmeyer said.

Eight of the injured Marines were treated and released Saturday, Sudmeyer said. Some of the remaining 11 injured sustained severe injuries, but medical officials said all are expected to fully recover, the major said.

The victims' names were not released, but all of their families have been notified, Sudmeyer said.

An ongoing investigation into the crash revealed that the truck was travelling on the east side of the base on a road near a steep incline when it overturned before at a sharp turn, Sudmeyer said. The vehicle was travelling in the dark and had its lights on, and no live fire was being used, he said.

The reservists, who are mostly from Southern California, were taking part in scheduled training in basic fighting skills, Sudmeyer said Saturday.

The crash is under investigation by command staff. A more formal investigation will be conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which is standard policy whenever a Marine is killed, Sudmeyer said.

The loss was the 27th training-related death at San Diego County bases since 2004.

Most recently, four sailors were killed Jan. 26 when their Navy MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter crashed 50 miles off the coast of Camp Pendleton during a routine training exercise.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Contact staff writer Sarah Wilkins at (760) 761-4414 or swilkins@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com.

Ellie