Twenty cadets and two trainers were injured after a
military vehicle overturned en route to a training area near the military academy, officials said.
At least one
West Point cadet was killed, and 20 cadets and two soldier trainers were injured, on Thursday after a military vehicle overturned en route to a training exercise near the academy, a West Point spokesman said.
A five-ton cargo truck, known as a light medium tactical vehicle, was transporting the cadets to a training area about eight miles from West Point’s main campus in upstate New York when it overturned at 6:45 a.m., the spokesman, Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, said.
The cause of the accident was unknown, Colonel Ophardt said.
The truck overturned near Camp Natural Bridge, a summer training site. The cadets were in the middle of the annual summer program, which generally includes training in military field exercises.
Officials have not released the name of the cadet who was killed, nor have they said how serious the other injuries were.
“My heart breaks for all those involved,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a statement.
“These courageous cadets and soldiers represent the best of New York State and our country, and we owe them a debt of gratitude.”
Emergency responders from Orange County, N.Y., where West Point is, were helping with the crash response, according to the county’s deputy commissioner for emergency management, Alan C. Mack.
“These vehicles are very prone to rollover,” Mr. Mack said. “It’s one of the downsides of them. They’re high-axle vehicles, so they can get through water and mud or that kind of stuff.”
Mr. Cuomo said he directed the state’s Office of Emergency Management to help with the response. The New York State Police said its troopers were also assisting.
The accident was one of several fatal rollovers during military training exercises in recent months.
On May 16, Army Staff Sgt. Jacob Hess, 34, died from injuries after a Humvee rolled over at a military training center in Louisiana.
A week prior, First Lt. Hugh C. McDowell, 24, a Marine platoon commander, was killed when a light-armored vehicle rolled over during a training exercise at Camp Pendleton in California.
It was the second deadly rollover at Camp Pendleton in a month. In April, Staff Sgt. Joshua Braica, 29, also died after a vehicle rolled over there.