R 020840Z MAR 01  
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS  //N05000//
ALMAR 009/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/FEBRUARY 2001 SAFETY SUMMARY//
RMKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2001, SIX ACTIVE DUTY MARINES
AND ONE RESERVIST NOT ON ACTIVE DUTY DIED DUE TO GROUND RELATED
MISHAPS.  TWO MARINES DIED AS A RESULT OF AN AVIATION MISHAP, AND
ONE MARINE DIED FROM A SUSPECTED SUICIDE.  SEVENTEEN ACTIVE DUTY
MARINES, ONE RESERVIST AND ONE RECRUIT SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES.
THE FOLLOWING PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF OUR CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF
FEBRUARY:
A.  FATALITIES:
   1.  PVT FROM B CO, MCCES TRNG COMM, 29 PALMS WHO WAS INVOLVED IN
AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT ON 20 JAN 01, DIED 2 FEB 01 AS A RESULT OF
RESPIRATORY FAILURE.
   2.  USMCR SGT NOT ON ACTIVE DUTY FROM I&I GULFPORT MS, LOST
CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE, DESCENDED AN EMBANKMENT AND WAS SUBMERGED.
SNM COULD NOT BE REVIVED AND DIED.
   3.  LCPL FROM 3D LAR BN WAS KILLED WHEN HE WAS TRAPPED UNDER THE
DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHEN HIS VEHICLE HIT A PILLAR, FLIPPED
AND PARTIALLY EJECTED HIM.
   4.  CPL FROM MALS 31, MAG 31 CROSSED THE CENTERLINE OF A HIGHWAY
AND COLLIDED WITH A PICKUP TRUCK.  SNM DIED AT THE SCENE OF THE
ACCIDENT.
   5.  SGT FROM 1ST LAR BN WAS KNOCKED UNCONSCIOUS BY A ROCK WHILE
CONDUCTING A SKI MARCH AT MWTC BRIDGEPORT.  HE WAS MEDEVACED AND
LISTED IN CRITICAL CONDITION AS A RESULT OF SEVERE HEAD TRAUMA.
SNM LATER DIED AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM LIFE SUPPORT.
   6.  CPL FROM G BTRY, 2DBN, 10TH MAR, WAS UNLOADING GEAR BETWEEN
TWO 5-TON TRUCKS WHEN ONE 5-TON BACKED INTO THE OTHER, ACCIDENTALLY
CRUSHING AND KILLING HIM.
   7.  TWO LCPLS AND ONE PFC FROM 1ST FAST CO WERE DRIVING FROM
NEW HAMPSHIRE TO NORFOLK, VA WHEN THEY WERE INVOLVED IN AN
AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT.  ONE MARINE WAS KILLED WHILE THE OTHER TWO
MARINES RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES.
B.  REPRESENTIVE MISHAPS RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURIES:
   1.  CPL FROM HQBN, 2D MARDIV WAS STRUCK BY A MOTOR VEHICLE (HIT
AND RUN) WHILE HE WAS TRYING TO CROSS HWY 17 IN JACKSONVILLE, NC.
SNM IS CURRENTLY IN THE ICU AFTER SUFFERING MULTIPLE INJURIES.
   2.  CPL FROM VMFA-122, MAG-31 WAS DRIVING A POV THAT HIT A TREE
HEAD ON.  SNM SUFFERED FRACTURED RIBS, INTERNAL BLEEDING, AND A
SUSPECTED BROKEN NECK.  HIS INJURIES ARE NOT LIFE THREATENING.
   3.  LCPL FROM MARINE BARRACKS 8TH & I WAS DRIVING WHEN HIS
POV WENT OFF A BRIDGE ON INTERSTATE-95 SOUTH INTO THE PATUXENT
RIVER.  SNM WAS EXTRICATED FROM THE VEHICLE AND FLOWN TO THE
BALTIMORE SHOCK-TRAUMA CENTER.  SNM IS CURRENTLY ON LIFE SUPPORT.
   4.  1STLT FROM 2DBN, 2D MAR, 2D MARDIV WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY A
TRUCK AND THROWN APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET WHILE RIDING HIS BICYCLE
TO WORK.  HE WAS TREATED BY EMS PERSONNEL AND TRANSPORTED TO THE
NAVAL HOSPITAL AT CAMP LEJEUNE.  SNO IS STABLE AFTER SUSTAINING
BLUNT ABDOMINAL TRAUMA, AN INJURED KIDNEY, CLOSED HEAD INJURIES AND
POSSIBLE INTERNAL BLEEDING AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT.
   5.  CPL FROM 2D AAV, BN PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO
ASSIST ANOTHER MOTORIST.  AFTER EXITING HIS VEHICLE, THE CPL WAS
SIDE SWIPED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, WHICH THEN SPED AWAY FROM THE
SCENE.  THE CPL SUSTAINED ABDOMINAL, LEG, BACK, AND HEAD INJURIES,
AS WELL AS POSSIBLE SPINAL DAMAGE - NONE OF WHICH ARE CONSIDERED
LIFE THREATENING.
   6.  LCPL FROM MALS-11, MAG-11 WAS DRIVING EAST ON I-8 WHEN HER
VEHICLE HIT A DISABLED VEHICLE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY.
THE IMPACT FORCED THE DISABLED VEHICLE FORWARD AND INTO A SECOND
VEHICLE THAT HAD STOPPED TO ASSIST THE DISABLED VEHICLE.  TWO
CIVILIANS WERE INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT.  SNM WAS TREATED AND
RELEASED TO THE CUSTODY OF THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL WHERE SHE
REGISTERED A BAC OF .148 AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CHARGED WITH FELONY
DUI AND FELONY DUI WITH INJURIES.
   7.  PFC IN A LEAVE STATUS, ENROUTE TO SOI EAST, WAS DRIVING HIS
POV WHEN HE WAS HIT BY TWO SEMI-TRUCKS.  THE SECOND TRUCK CRUSHED
THE MARINE'S VEHICLE.  SNM SUFFERED FRACTURES TO THE FEMUR AND
CLAVICLE.  HE IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION AND ON A VENTILATOR IN THE
ICU AT PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL IN PITTSBURGH, PA.  PROGNOSIS IS
UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME.
C.  FLIGHT MISHAPS AND INCIDENTS:
   1.  MAJ AND CAPT FROM VMAT-203 FLYING A TA-V8B AIRCRAFT CRASHED
ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 32 LEFT AT MCAS CHERRY POINT, NC.
CRASH SITE WAS ON BASE.  TWO FATALITIES AND AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.
   2.  TWO CH-53E A/C EXPERIENCED MIDAIR MISHAP.  WHILE EXECUTING
A BREAK ON RETURN TO MCAS, FUTENMA.  DESIGNATED A "CLASS C" MISHAP.
D.  SUSPECTED SUICIDE:  CPL FROM MSSG-13 APPARENTLY COMMITTED
SUICIDE BY SHOTGUN TO THE HEAD AFTER BEING STOPPED BY POLICE
FOLLOWING A HIGH SPEED CHASE.  THE CPL WAS REPORTED TO BE IN AN U/A
STATUS AT TIME OF THE INCIDENT.  THIS IS OUR FOURTH SUSPECTED
SUICIDE THIS CY.
E.  MIXED NEWS.
   1.  LAST YEAR, FIVE MARINES DIED IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, TWO
IN PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLE (PMV) MISHAPS, ONE IN A MOTORCYCLE MISHAP,
AND TWO WHILE ON DUTY IN TACTICAL AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLE MISHAPS.
THIS YEAR, EIGHT ACTIVE DUTY MARINES DIED IN FEBRUARY:  TWO DIED
IN AN AVIATION MISHAP, FOUR DIED AS A RESULT OF PMV MISHAPS, AND
TWO DIED AS A RESULT OF ON DUTY GROUND MISHAPS.
   2.  FOR THE FIRST 5 MONTHS OF FY01, 28 MARINES HAVE BEEN KILLED
DUE TO MISHAPS.  LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, 38 MARINES HAD DIED.  THE
SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION OF OFF DUTY PMV FATALITIES, 14 VERSUS 24,
HIGHLIGHTS WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING WHEN WE PUT HARD WORK,
ENERGY, AND RESOURCES INTO THIS VITAL AND IMPORTANT MISSION.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE NOT HAD THE SAME SUCCESS WITH ON DUTY
MISHAPS AND FATALITIES.  TO DATE THIS YEAR, FOUR MORE MARINES HAVE
BEEN KILLED IN ON DUTY MISHAPS THAN LAST YEAR.  WE CAN DO BETTER,
AND WITH A RENEWED EFFORT ON ALL OUR PARTS WE CAN TURN THIS AROUND.
   3.  COMMANDERS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL MARINES HAVE READ THIS
ALMAR AND THAT EVERY MARINE IS WELL BRIEFED AND READY FOR THE RISKS
THEY WILL ENCOUNTER.  CONTINUE TO STRESS OPERATIONAL RISK
MANAGEMENT, BOTH ON AND OFF DUTY, AND PARTICULARLY ON THE HIGHWAY.
2.  SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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