A soldier from the 1st Infantry Division was killed in a car accident close to Fort Stockton last Saturday. The person who died was a 26-year-old female first lieutenant. The accident happened on Interstate 10 while the woman was driving to Fort Bliss, which was supposed to be her next duty station.
The lieutenant colonel from woman’s brigade issued the following statements, “The 1st Brigade Engineer Battalion is deeply saddened by the loss of 1st Lt. Stephanie Hetland.” The lieutenant colonel further stated, “We offer our most sincere condolences to her family and friends. We will continue to fully support them during this challenging time of grief.”
The woman started her military service career in December 2014 and reported for duty at Fort Riley in mid-2015. She originally hailed from Jacksonville, Florida. Before her untimely death she earned numerous medals of honor, including:
- The Army Commendation Medal
- The Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
- The Army Service Ribbon
- The Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
- The Korea Defense Service Medal
- The Overseas Service Medal
- The National Defense Service Medal
Any time that someone dies before his or her time it’s very unfortunate news, but no one will feel as sadly as the deceased person’s close family members. In this case, family members will definitely want answers regarding how their loved one has died. As police continue their investigations, additional information could come forward to put their minds at ease. This additional information might also be useful to family members if they want to pursue a wrongful death action to hold the at-fault party or parties financially responsible.
Source: 1350kman.com, “‘Devil’ brigade soldier dies in Texas car accident,” Nov. 21, 2017