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Amber Alert

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Fort BLiss Soldier killed is the third fatality in a month

With the death of a motorcyclist Friday night in East El Paso, three soldiers from Fort Bliss have now been involved in fatal accidents in less than a month. El Paso police spokesman Darrel Petry said Staff Sgt. Garfield Green, 27, of the 14100 block of Tierra Halcon was riding a blue 1999 Yamaha R-1 motorcycle east on Walter Jones Boulevard and was approaching Spur Drive about 6:20. At the same time, a 1996 Volvo tractor-trailer, driven by Juan Castro, 58, of the 1700 block of Millgate, was traveling west on Walter Jones and turning south onto Spur.

Petry said Green's motorcycle struck the truck's right rear tire. Green died of his injuries at the scene. Police believe Green, who was wearing a full-face helmet, was speeding at the time of the collision.

Fort Bliss spokeswoman Jean Offutt said Green was assigned to the 1-43 Air Defense Artillery Battalion, which moved to Fort Bliss from Korea last fall.

Offutt described Green's death as "a tragedy. We'll definitely be looking into what occurred."

A woman who answered the phone at Green's home Saturday said Green's mother was "doing as well as could be expected." Green's mother could not be reached for comment.Friday's fatal collision was the third in less than a month involving a Fort Bliss soldier. Dec. 29, 19-year-old Valerie Talamantes was stopped at a red light on Montana Avenue at Hawkins Boulevard in her gray 1987 Nissan Stanza when Staff Sgt. Edison Bayas, 35, who was driving west on Montana in his silver 1998 Infinity QX4 at a high rate of speed, crashed into the rear of Talamantes' car and another vehicle. Talamantes later died at Thomason Hospital.

Dec. 22, Spc. Charles Messer, 20, was killed in a one-car crash on Loop 375 in Northeast El Paso after losing control of his 2007 Honda Accord. Messer was ejected from the car and died at the scene. Both Messer and Bayas were with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

Petry said no charges are pending against Castro, the truck driver. An investigation of the collision continued Saturday. Green's death was the second traffic fatality of the year the city of El Paso, compared with two at the same time last year.Source

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

green was not speeding his wife and kids were following behind him to go get something to eat before heading home, get the true facts to this story