Two Marines were killed and 17 others injured on Wednesday after a 7-ton military vehicle rolled over in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
The Marines involved were active duty service members of the 2nd Marine Logistics Group based at nearby Camp Lejeune.
Two Marines were transported to a regional medical center in Wilmington, North Carolina, and are listed in critical condition, according to a press release from the 2nd Marine Logistics Group. The 15 other injured troops were brought to the medical center at Camp Lejeune, where they were listed in stable condition, according to the release.
"The names of the deceased are being withheld until 24 hours after the notification of next of kin, and the names of the injured are being withheld in accordance with privacy regulations," the release read.
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The accident occurred while the military vehicle was attempting to turn onto U.S. 17 from N.C. 210, North Carolina Highway Patrol Sgt. Devin Rich said at an evening press conference.
"While making a right turn, the vehicle, it was a 7-ton military vehicle, lost control and overturned, ejecting the Marines that were in the back of the truck out into the roadway," Rich said.
The military vehicle involved in the rollover was a medium tactical vehicle replacement (MTVR), also known as a "7-ton," which is primarily use for "troop and equipment transportation purposes," according to the release.
The Highway Patrol's Reconstruction unit is working with district troopers to investigate the accident and the vehicle's speed at the time of the rollover, Rich said.
"They are in the process of doing the measurements needed to attain a speed of an approximate speed that they were travelling," Rich said. "We do know it was a little too fast for the right turn that they were attempting to make."
Camp Lejeune is a training based focused on combat readiness. It is the largest Marine Corps base on the East Coast and occupies about 153,439 acres with 14 miles of beach on the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.
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