Army identifies 3 soldiers killed in accident - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Army identifies 3 soldiers killed in accident

The Army on Friday identified three 4th Infantry Division soldiers who were killed in a vehicle accident in Baghdad on Christmas Eve.

Staff Sgt. Christopher G. Smith, 28, of Grand Rapids, Mich.; Spc. Stephen M. Okray, 21, of St. Clair Shores, Mich.; and Spc. Stephen G. Zapasnik, 19, of Broken Arrow, Okla.; were killed Dec. 24 in a vehicle rollover, according to a Defense Department news release.

The soldiers were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 16th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colo.

No further details were provided about the accident.

War zone vehicle accidents have declined since the start of operations, according to data from the Combat Readiness Center at Fort Rucker, Ala.

In fiscal 2008, the data show, 19 soldiers were killed in 22 accidents in Army motor vehicles such as Humvees and trucks. The accidents, most of which occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan, were down from fiscal 2007, in which 37 soldiers died in 29 accidents.

Accidents in combat vehicles such as Bradley vehicles, tanks, Stryker vehicles and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles saw a sharp drop in fiscal 2008, with eight accidents resulting in seven deaths. By comparison, in fiscal 2007, 11 soldiers died in 19 accidents.

The Christmas Eve accident is under investigation.