A routine military training exercise in Arkansas turned dangerous in seconds after a chain-reaction crash involving massive army trucks left multiple soldiers hurt — and one fighting serious injuries.
The incident happened Monday morning at Fort Chaffee, where three heavy military vehicles collided during drills, according to the Arkansas National Guard.
Officials say the crash involved three HEMTTs — massive 10-ton tactical trucks — traveling along a dirt road when visibility suddenly dropped due to thick dust in the air. Investigators believe the drivers couldn’t see when the vehicle ahead stopped, triggering a violent chain-reaction crash.
Eight soldiers were injured in the wreck.
Five were treated and quickly returned to duty, while two others required X-rays for injuries to their knees and backs.
One soldier, however, suffered serious injuries and had to be pulled from the wreckage using the jaws of life. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital, underwent surgery, and has since been transferred to another facility where he is now listed in stable condition.
The injured troops are members of the 1st Battalion, 142nd Field Artillery Brigade, a unit that regularly trains at Fort Chaffee.
In the aftermath of the crash, military leaders immediately paused all training operations and ordered a brigade-wide safety stand down to review procedures and prevent another incident.
Officials say the conditions troops train in are often unpredictable and dangerous.
“These are big trucks, heavy trucks, operating in rough terrain,” one spokesperson explained, noting that dust and poor road conditions likely played a major role in the crash.
An investigation is now underway to determine exactly what went wrong — and whether anything could have prevented the frightening accident.
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