A 21-Year-Old Marine Killed In Vehicle Accident During Training In Australia

The service announced that a 21-year-old corporal of Marine lance died after a tactical vehicle accident during a training event in Australia. Lance Cpl. Hans Sandoval-Pereyra, 21, was injured in a May 25 accident and died at the Royal Darwin Hospital on 28th May. A second Marine injured in the accident has also been released from the hospital.

The training took place at the Mount Bundey Training Area, about an hour and a half outside Darwin. Marines have been sending a rotational force to Darwin since 2012.

“We are saddened by the loss of Lance Cpl. Sandoval-Pereyra. He was a beloved member of our community and our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends,” Col. Russ Boyce, commanding officer for Marine Rotational Force-Darwin, said in a statement.

Sandoval-Pereyra was from Fairfax, Va., and served as an expeditionary airfield systems technician in the rotational force’s aviation combat element (ACE). He was previously assigned to the Marine Wing Support Detachment 24, Marine Aircraft Group 24 based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. He had earned the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Sandoval-Pereyra’s death is the second case in May for the Marine Corps. A Light Armored Vehicle rolled over May 9 at Camp Pendleton in California, injuring six and killing one. In April, a Marine Raider was killed when the MRZR vehicle he was driving rolled over.

The following is the complete May 28 statement from the U.S. Marine Corps:

DARWIN, NT, Australia- Lance Cpl. Hans Sandoval-Pereyra, 21, died May 28 after succumbing to injuries received during a tactical vehicle accident May 25.

He was conducting routine training at Mount Bundey Training Area, Northern Territory, Australia, and was initially treated at the scene before being medically evacuated by helicopter to Royal Darwin Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

One other Marine received minor injuries from the accident and was released from the hospital.

The cause of the accident is under investigation. “We are saddened by the loss of Lance Cpl. Sandoval-Pereyra. He was a beloved member of our community and our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends,” said Col. Russ Boyce, Commanding Officer for Marine Rotational Force-Darwin. “We are extremely grateful to our Australian partners for their valiant efforts to save this young Marine’s life.”

Sandoval-Pereyra, 21, of Fairfax, Virginia, was an Expeditionary Airfield Systems Technician assigned to the Aviation Combat Element for MRF-D. Prior to deploying to Australia, he was assigned to Marine Wing Support Detachment 24, Marine Aircraft Group 24, based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay. His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Reference: news.usni.org