Army identifies Fort Bragg soldier killed in Humvee accident

A Fort Bragg, N.C., soldier killed Monday in a Humvee accident has been identified as Pfc. Patrick Hernandez, according to an Army statement released Wednesday.

Hernandez, 30, of Los Fresnos, Texas, was killed and four others were injured in a vehicle wreck on base Monday afternoon. No further details about the incident have been released.

A husband and father, Hernandez enlisted in the Army in August 2020 and was most recently assigned to the 108th Military Police (MP) Company, 503rd MP Battalion, 16th MP Brigade.

“Unfortunately, we lost one of our own in a vehicle accident on post. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Pfc. Hernandez’s family as they grieve the loss of their loved one. The 503rd MP Battalion is grieving as well, and we will honor Pfc. Hernandez’s life and service,” Lt. Col. Andrew Till, commander of 503rd MP Battalion, said in the statement.

This is the second deadly crash at Fort Bragg since June, when Cpl. Mojave Littlejohn, 21, was killed in a vehicle accident.

Vehicle accidents remain a pervasive problem in the military, with a Government Accountability Office report in July revealing that 123 Army and Marine Corps troops died in 3,753 non-combat tactical vehicle incidents between 2010 and 2019.

Congress has since moved to change safety measures and add more scrutiny for military vehicles, with the House including several provisions on the matter in its version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act.