thedrifter
03-26-09, 07:46 AM
March 26, 2009
Marine on leave dies in truck crash
By Earl Holland
Staff Writer
SALISBURY -- Friends and family continue to deal with the loss of a U.S. Marine who died while on leave.
Lance Cpl. Sean Michael Mitchell, 21, of Salisbury was killed Tuesday after his truck hit a tree on Route 13 near Route 413 in Westover as he was heading back to Camp LeJeune, N.C., where he was stationed.
Mitchell, who attended James M. Bennett High School, had taken a two-week leave to spend time with his family after recently returning from a tour in Ramadi, Iraq in February. He had been in the Marines since December 2006.
"It's just hard to understand how someone can be taken so soon when he had so much left to do in his life," said Sara Mitchell, his older sister. "He was an amazing person and a fun-loving guy."
Sara Mitchell was in Baltimore at the time she received word from her boyfriend that Sean had died.
The Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack received a call about the accident shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday. The call came from the driver of one of the cars that were behind Sean Mitchell's truck at the time of the accident.
When troopers arrived at the scene of the impact, they discovered the vehicle had left the road and hit the tree, which was located in the median of the road. Paramedics rushed Mitchell to Peninsula Regional Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.
As a result of the collision, traffic was detoured to the remaining lanes as MSP crash reconstruction crews investigated the cause. Police said the investigation into what led to his truck going off the road continues.
Sara Mitchell said that her brother will receive a full military burial in his dress-blues as a symbol of his love of being a Marine.
"The brotherhood he had with his platoon and serving his country were the most important things to him about being a Marine," she said. "He wouldn't have wanted it any other way."
eholland@dmg.gannett.com
410-845-4633
Ellie
Marine on leave dies in truck crash
By Earl Holland
Staff Writer
SALISBURY -- Friends and family continue to deal with the loss of a U.S. Marine who died while on leave.
Lance Cpl. Sean Michael Mitchell, 21, of Salisbury was killed Tuesday after his truck hit a tree on Route 13 near Route 413 in Westover as he was heading back to Camp LeJeune, N.C., where he was stationed.
Mitchell, who attended James M. Bennett High School, had taken a two-week leave to spend time with his family after recently returning from a tour in Ramadi, Iraq in February. He had been in the Marines since December 2006.
"It's just hard to understand how someone can be taken so soon when he had so much left to do in his life," said Sara Mitchell, his older sister. "He was an amazing person and a fun-loving guy."
Sara Mitchell was in Baltimore at the time she received word from her boyfriend that Sean had died.
The Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack received a call about the accident shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday. The call came from the driver of one of the cars that were behind Sean Mitchell's truck at the time of the accident.
When troopers arrived at the scene of the impact, they discovered the vehicle had left the road and hit the tree, which was located in the median of the road. Paramedics rushed Mitchell to Peninsula Regional Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead.
As a result of the collision, traffic was detoured to the remaining lanes as MSP crash reconstruction crews investigated the cause. Police said the investigation into what led to his truck going off the road continues.
Sara Mitchell said that her brother will receive a full military burial in his dress-blues as a symbol of his love of being a Marine.
"The brotherhood he had with his platoon and serving his country were the most important things to him about being a Marine," she said. "He wouldn't have wanted it any other way."
eholland@dmg.gannett.com
410-845-4633
Ellie