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Crash of armoured vehicle kills Canadian soldier in Kandahar
A Canadian soldier died and seven people were injured Thursday after a 21-tonne armoured vehicle smashed into a taxi, flipped and came to rest in a twisted heap. The accident killed Cpl. Paul Davis of Bridgewater, N.S., and seven other people were injured.
The crash happened just before 10 a.m. on a routine patrol from the main Canadian base at Kandahar Airfield. The soldiers were heading out to meet with local Afghan officials.
An Afghan interpreter and six Canadian soldiers were among the injured, including two servicemen who were in serious condition Thursday night.
Cpl Davis
"The accident appears to have been caused by our vehicle striking the vehicle," said Col. Tom Putt, deputy commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.
Three soldiers and the interpreter in the passenger cabin at the time of the accident were injured less seriously.
The other soldiers would have likely been driving or manning guns to ward of would-be attackers on the dangerous road from Kandahar Airfield.
Canadian officials suggested the taxi might have failed to yield, causing the accident.
After hitting the taxi, soldiers say the light armoured vehicle - known as the LAV III - flipped twice and came to a rest on its wheels in a cloud of dust about 15 metres from the road. The gun turret and rear axle were detached from the main body of the mammoth eight-wheeled vehicle.
Two of the wounded soldiers are in serious condition. Canadian doctors sent Pte. Miguel Chavez, originally of El Salvador, to a U.S.-run hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson of Grande Prairie, Alta., was the other soldier in critical condition.
One soldier ended up trapped beneath the turret but survived.
Four soldiers were immediately flown to the airfield hospital, including Davis. The other three soldiers and the interpreter went to Camp Nathan Smith by road. Two were later flown to the airfield for X-rays.
The soldiers in stable condition are Pte. Nathan Justice of Dauphin, Man., Pte. Mark Taylor of Prince Rupert, B.C., Pte. Thomas Wong of Edmonton, Alta. and Sgt. Darren Haggerty of London, Ont.
A Canadian soldier died and seven people were injured Thursday after a 21-tonne armoured vehicle smashed into a taxi, flipped and came to rest in a twisted heap. The accident killed Cpl. Paul Davis of Bridgewater, N.S., and seven other people were injured.
The crash happened just before 10 a.m. on a routine patrol from the main Canadian base at Kandahar Airfield. The soldiers were heading out to meet with local Afghan officials.
An Afghan interpreter and six Canadian soldiers were among the injured, including two servicemen who were in serious condition Thursday night.
Cpl Davis
"The accident appears to have been caused by our vehicle striking the vehicle," said Col. Tom Putt, deputy commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.
Three soldiers and the interpreter in the passenger cabin at the time of the accident were injured less seriously.
The other soldiers would have likely been driving or manning guns to ward of would-be attackers on the dangerous road from Kandahar Airfield.
Canadian officials suggested the taxi might have failed to yield, causing the accident.
After hitting the taxi, soldiers say the light armoured vehicle - known as the LAV III - flipped twice and came to a rest on its wheels in a cloud of dust about 15 metres from the road. The gun turret and rear axle were detached from the main body of the mammoth eight-wheeled vehicle.
Two of the wounded soldiers are in serious condition. Canadian doctors sent Pte. Miguel Chavez, originally of El Salvador, to a U.S.-run hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. Master Cpl. Timothy Wilson of Grande Prairie, Alta., was the other soldier in critical condition.
One soldier ended up trapped beneath the turret but survived.
Four soldiers were immediately flown to the airfield hospital, including Davis. The other three soldiers and the interpreter went to Camp Nathan Smith by road. Two were later flown to the airfield for X-rays.
The soldiers in stable condition are Pte. Nathan Justice of Dauphin, Man., Pte. Mark Taylor of Prince Rupert, B.C., Pte. Thomas Wong of Edmonton, Alta. and Sgt. Darren Haggerty of London, Ont.
