Three military police officers remained hospitalized Thursday from injuries received when the van they were riding in flipped over an autobahn guardrail Tuesday afternoon and rolled down a 40-foot embankment.
Four other MPs in the van were treated for their injuries at local hospitals. The seven are members of the 230th Military Police Company, 21st Theater Support Command based at Rhine Ordnance Barracks near Kaiserslautern.
All seven were wearing seat belts, according to their company commander, Capt. David Beaman.
“They’re actually doing very well considering the severity of accident,” Beaman said.
Beaman said Sgt. Beverly Price-Ihire underwent surgery Thursday at a German hospital in Schwäbis Hall to repair a separated vertebrae in her neck. Pvt. Michael A. Keck underwent the same procedure Wednesday at the hospital. Both are expected to remain hospitalized until Monday, Beaman said.
Pvt. Jacelyn A. Radigan was being treated at the Ludwigsburg Krankenhaus for a mild concussion and large gash on her head, Beaman said.
Beaman said the seven were returning from Individual Readiness Training in Hohenfels, when the van’s right rear tire blew out on A-6 near Schwäbish Hall. Rescue workers had to use extrication tools to remove two of the soldiers from the vehicle, Beaman said.
“Thank God everybody was wearing their seatbelts,” Beaman said. “Because if they hadn’t been, we’d probably be talking about people being killed instead of people whose injuries are not life-threatening.”
