The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center is leading an inquiry into an accident at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, involving an 18-wheeler and a backhoe that killed a soldier and injured two others Thursday morning.

Safety investigators from the USACRC out of Fort Rucker, Alabama, are being dispatched to probe the accident, which involved an M-1088 High Mobility Engineer Excavator, according to a command press release.

The soldiers involved in the accident were assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade, according to Mike Negard, a spokesperson for USACRC. However, their names are still being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The deadly accident took place at about 9:15 a.m. Thursday when the 18-wheeler carrying the three soldiers ran into the back of the M-1088 excavator while on the way to a training range, a Fort Bragg official said.

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The soldier killed in the accident was the one driving the 18-wheeler, the official added. The soldiers had to be extracted from the vehicle on Raeford-Vass Road near its intersection with Plank Road.

Raeford-Vass Road is one of several gravel roads — which make it more difficult for heavy vehicles to safely brake — leading to training ranges on Fort Bragg.

“The accidental death of this Soldier is tragic; my thoughts and prayers are with the Family,” said Col. Scott Pence, Fort Bragg Garrison commander.

USACRC has the authority to take over Army accident investigations, and “makes every attempt” to investigate fatal accidents, the command’s release said.

Davis Winkie covers the Army for Military Times. He studied history at Vanderbilt and UNC-Chapel Hill, and served five years in the Army Guard. His investigations earned the Society of Professional Journalists' 2023 Sunshine Award and consecutive Military Reporters and Editors honors, among others. Davis was also a 2022 Livingston Awards finalist.

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