US soldiers in an accident on icy roads

Icy Roads Røros US SoldiersFour US soldiers were injured when a total of eight military vehicles were involved in an accident on County Road 705 at Stuggusjøen between Tydal and Røros in Trøndelag on Tuesday. Photo: Ole Håkon Østby / NTB scanpix

US soldiers injured in an accident on icy roads near Røros

Four American soldiers were injured when several military vehicles collided between Røros and Tydal in Trøndelag. One vehicle drove off the icy roads.

 

The accident happened a little before 3.30 pm on county road 705 at Stuggusjøen on Tuesday.

The vehicles involved were wheeled cargo trucks that brought equipment to the King’s Mine at Røros in connection with the military exercise, Trident Junction. They belonged to the US forces, their spokesperson, Adrian Rankine-Galloway, confirms in a press release.

– We are particularly grateful that the Norwegian emergency services quickly came to the accident site and assured that our soldiers were safe – and that they received medical assistance, says Rankine-Galloway.

Four injured

There was very bad weather in the area, with extremely slippery, icy roads and harsh driving conditions when the accident occurred. According to Rankine-Galloway, three vehicles crashed, and a fourth drove off the road as it tried to avoid the chain collision.

Colonel Lieutenant, Vegard Finberg, who is press spokesperson for Trident Juncture, informs NTB that four American soldiers were injured in the accident.

– All in all, there are eight vehicles and 18 persons involved in the accident. Two of the injured are sent by air ambulance to St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim, one person is brought by an Armed Forces ambulance and the fourth is sent for emergency medical supervision. We do not know anything about the amount of injury, but the person sent to the emergency service is only slightly injured, says Head of Operations in Trøndelag Police District, Anlaug Oseid, to NTB.

Will investigate

Rankine-Galloway says one is released from the hospital, while three are still under observation. He says these will be released as soon as the doctors confirm that they are not seriously injured.

He further states the collision is under investigation – and that the US forces cooperate fully with the Norwegian police.

– We want to figure out exactly how this happened and take the right steps to ensure a sound and professional operation of US vehicles in Norway, he continues.

To the Trondhjem newspaper Adresseavisen, a witness informs that there was a military truck that had fallen down a slope and lay on its side.

Several accidents

Just before 7.30 pm, there was another accident in the same county. This time it involved a civilian bus and a military vehicle on Highway 30 at Glåmos, also in Røros municipality. The bus driver is slightly injured, according to the police.

A few minutes later, the Innlandet Police District reported that the same type of vehicle, a bus and a military vehicle had a traffic accident on European Route 136 at the Jora bridge near the town Dombås. There appears to be only material damage to the bus, which only had the driver and one passenger on board.

The nationality of the involved military vehicles is not yet known.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today