FORT HOOD, Texas — Fort Hood commanders were in the process of closing roads on the sprawling Army post in Central Texas when a truck carrying 12 soldiers overturned in a fast-flowing flooded creek during a training exercise, killing nine and injuring three, officials said Friday.
The portion of road on the northern fringe of the post where the 2½-ton Light Medium Tactical Vehicle overturned Thursday hadn’t been overrun by water during past floods, Fort Hood spokesman Chris Haug said. The vehicle resembles a flatbed truck with a walled bed and is used to carry troops.
He said the soldiers were being trained on how to operate the truck when it overturned along Owl Creek, about 70 miles north of Austin.
“It was a situation where the rain had come, the water was rising quickly and we were in the process, at the moment of the event, of closing the roads,” Haug said.
Soldiers on training exercises regularly contend with high-water situations following heavy rains, he said.
“This was a tactical vehicle and at the time they were in a proper place for what they were training,” Haug said. “It’s just an unfortunate accident that occurred quickly.”
Three soldiers were found dead shortly after the vehicle overturned. The bodies of two others were found late Thursday night. Four others were discovered dead Friday.
The three injured were released from Fort Hood’s hospital on Friday, said Maj. Gen. John Uberti, Fort Hood deputy commander. He said the identities of the dead weren’t being released pending notification of their families.
“This tragedy extends well beyond Fort Hood and the outpouring of support from the country is sincerely appreciated,” Uberti said.