Staff Sgt. Travon Walker is being remembered by commenters on his Facebook page for his friendship and professionalism. Walker was killed in a car accident in Bavaria on June 5, 2023, following a head-on crash. A German woman driving another vehicle also was seriously injured. (Facebook)
VILSECK, Germany — Investigators are still reviewing the cause of a crash last week near Freihung that killed a 30-year-old U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment soldier and seriously injured a German woman, local police and Army officials said.
Staff Sgt. Travon Walker of Richmond, Va., was traveling on Bavarian state Route 2166 toward Duernast around 4:55 p.m. on June 5 when he lost control of his Skoda and hit a small Volkswagen head-on, the Auerbach police department in Bavaria said.
German emergency services and American military police arrived from Vilseck. Walker was trapped in his car and was freed by firefighters using heavy equipment.
The 56-year-old driver of the Volkswagen was taken to the Sulzbach-Rosenberg hospital with serious injuries, police said.
Walker was treated on the scene and taken by rescue helicopter to St. Marien Hospital in Amberg where he was pronounced dead.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Staff Sgt. Travon Walker,” Lt. Col. Jason E. Turner, the Field Artillery Squadron commander, said in a statement Monday. “He will be truly missed by his troopers, teammates, and the entire Hell Squadron family. We extend our condolences to his wife and two children as they grieve his untimely death.”
Walker, a fire control specialist, was remembered on his personal Facebook page by friends for his humor, helpfulness and professionalism.
“You were one of the most real and knowledgeable section chiefs I ever had the pleasure of serving with,” friend Matt Johnson wrote on Walker’s Facebook page. “The Army and the world as a whole is a lesser place with your absence.”
The Army National Training Center Safety official Facebook page Monday reported the death of a 30-year-old sergeant first class assigned to South Camp Vilseck in circumstances that mostly align with the German police report.
The soldier was driving his normal route home from work and was wearing his seat belt when the crash occurred, the NTC said.
The death is the 21st this fiscal year involving a soldier in a private vehicle, the NTC Safety page said.
German law enforcement and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the accident.
Stars and Stripes reporter John Vandiver contributed to this report.
