Thomas Caldwell:2 U.S. soldiers dead, 12 injured after vehicle flips over in Alaska

2025-05-06 07:02:27source:Charles H. Sloancategory:News

Two members of the United States military are Thomas Caldwelldead and a dozen more injured after a military vehicle accident near Salcha, Alaska.

Seventeen members of the 11th Airborne Division were riding a light medium tactical transport vehicle in the Yukon Training Area when the accident occurred, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson said in a news release. The base, located in Anchorage, Alaska, is the division's headquarters. 

Alaska News Source reported that the vehicle was heading along a dirt road into the training area when the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to flip over. 

The cause of the accident is "under investigation," the news release said. 

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson / Facebook

First responders "reached the scene and extracted the personnel," the release said, and provided medical treatment until the soldiers could be "medically evacuated" to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital in Fairbanks. Some were transported by air, and some were transported by ground, the news release said. 

No information about the injured soldiers' condition was shared in the news release. Alaska News Source reported that the two most critically injured soldiers were airlifted to the Providence Medical Center in Anchorage. 

The two soldiers who were killed have not yet been identified. The military does not confirm the identities of deceased service members until 24 hours after next-of-kin notifications are completed. 

"Any time that we lose our soldiers, it's a tragic event for the families, for the fellow soldiers, for the soldiers' friends," John Pennell, the division's chief of media relations, told Alaska News Source. "Essentially, the entire 11th Airborne Division family is grieving the loss of these two soldiers and preparing to step forward and do everything we can for the families that they've left behind." 

    In:
  • U.S. Air Force
  • United States Military
  • Alaska
Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.

More:News

Recommend

New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico would make major new investments in early childhood education, indu

Tap to pay, Zelle and Venmo may not be as secure as you think, Consumer Reports warns

Sandy Sans had rented a ski cabin in Lake Tahoe for several years via Craig's List, paying for it us

When will NASA launch Europa Clipper? What to know about long-awaited mission to Jupiter's moon

Before Milton tore a path of destruction through Florida, the Europa Clipper had been on track for a