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Old Guard soldier dies in motorcycle crash

A military police officer with the 3rd Infantry Regiment, better known as the Old Guard, died from injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington, Va., the Army announced Thursday.

Spc. Nathan Townsend, 22, of Minor Hill, Tenn., was assigned to the 289th Military Police Company, 4th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Monday, the U.S. Park Police were notified of a motorcycle that left the roadway northbound on the parkway. Townsend’s body was found at 6:10 a.m. Tuesday in a wooded area between the parkway and the Potomac River. Townsend, who was riding a borrowed sports bike, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Townsend, who participated in the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally in Washington, D.C., the day before the crash, was wearing a helmet, gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, long pants and boots, said Shaunteh Kelly, a spokeswoman for the Military District of Washington.

He also was properly licensed and trained, having completed the Army Traffic Safety Training Program’s basic and experienced rider courses, Kelly said.

Townsend joined the Army in November 2005 and arrived at the Old Guard in May 2006.

“Spc. Nathan Townsend was a superior soldier and outstanding American who surpassed expectations within the Old Guard, an elite organization with very high standards,” said Col. Joseph Buche, commander of the Old Guard. “The Old Guard and the Army family deeply mourn the tragic loss of our comrade.”

Townsend is survived by his wife, Erica, of Alexandria, Va., his father, Steven, of Minor Hill, and his mother, Evelyn Helms, of Rogersville, Ala.

A memorial service for Townsend is scheduled for June 2 at the Fort Myer Memorial Chapel.

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