KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — An airman assigned to the 18th Communications Squadron died Sunday from injuries sustained in a car accident on highway 10 in the town of Uruma.
Airman 1st Class Roger N. Stewart, 21, was pronounced dead at 9:02 a.m. in the U.S. Naval Hospital on Camp Lester, a day after the single-car accident.
According to a spokesman for the Okinawa prefectural police in Uruma, Stewart was traveling east on Highway 10, driving from Yakena to Miyagi Island, when he lost control of his car and slammed into a tree and concrete wall in the Henza district of Uruma at 1 a.m. Saturday.
The accident occurred near the Yonashiro fire station and Stewart was immediately extracted from the vehicle and treated for what appeared to be a broken leg, the police spokesman said. He was later transferred to a military ambulance and taken to the Naval Hospital.
No one else was in Stewart’s car and no other injuries were reported at the scene. The cause of the accident is under investigation by Japanese and military police. Kadena Air Base officials are cooperating fully with the Japanese authorities, according to the news release.
Okinawa police do not believe that alcohol was involved.
The cause of Stewart’s death eight hours later also is under investigation.
Chiyomi Sumida contributed to this report.
