A Malmstrom Air Force Base airman was killed and another injured in a humvee crash on Oct. 21.
Airman Alton S. John, 19, of the 341st Missile Security Forces Squadron, died Oct. 28, as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, according to the Montana Highway Patrol.
Both airmen in the humvee crash were transported to the hospital, according to Malmstrom.
The injured airman is currently in stable condition, according to a Nov. 1 release from Malmstrom.
“This is a loss that will be greatly felt by each and every member of Team Malmstrom,” Col. Barry E. Little, 341st Missile Wing commander, said in a release. “Our main focus will be continuing support to our injured Airman, the affected family members, and providing them with all the services available to work through this difficult time.”
MHP said that the humvee entered a downhill right-hand curve in the roadway at an excessive rate of speed for the vehicle.
Alton was driving and applied “heavy braking” pushing the weight of the vehicle forward as the humvee crossed the center line in the southbound lane, according to MHP.
The driver oversteered sharply to the right, entering a clockwise spin before running off the road, according to MHP.
As the humvee left the road, it tripped, causing it to roll multiple times, according to MHP.
According to the Air Force, an airman assigned to the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron at F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming was killed in a humvee incident in Colorado in September 2023.
A second airman involved was not seriously injured in the incident, according to Wyoming news reports.
Local news reports indicated that the “Air Force initiated an interim safety board immediately after the mishap to gather the facts surrounding the incident. A safety investigation board will be convened to determine the cause of the crash and to recommend measures necessary to prevent future mishaps.”
The Electric has requested additional information about the Oct. 21 crash, Malmstrom humvee crash data, as well as humvee training for airman and whether any safety measures had been issued following the September humvee crash in Colorado.
In 2015, a Malmstrom airman was cited by MHP for careless driving in a humvee rollover on Highway 287 near Augusta, according to local news reports.
The humvee was carrying two airmen, left the roadway and the driver overcorrected, causing it to roll.
The airmen reported minor injuries in that rollover.
