A paratrooper died Sunday of injuries sustained during a motorcycle accident in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the 82nd Airborne Division announced in a press release.
Private 1st Class Joseph Del Hierro, 26, died in a head-on collision with an SUV that also took the life of a 26-year-old woman who was riding with him, according to the Fayetteville Police Department.
The crash took place at roughly 5:20 p.m. on Sunday.
The SUV driver was taken to the hospital following the accident. The passenger of the motorcycle was identified by police as Mary Moon. Police said an SUV and a motorcycle were traveling opposite directions on Bunce Road when they collided about 10 miles south of Fort Bragg, where Del Hierro was stationed.
Del Hierro was an infantryman assigned to B Company, 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.
“Pfc. Del Hierro was an extraordinarily committed and professional Paratrooper and a beloved member of the Falcon and 82nd Airborne Division Families,” Lt. Col. Anthony Keller, commander of 1-325 AIR, said in a prepared statement.
Del Hierro was riding on a 2009 Honda CBR-600 motorcycle at the time of the accident. The Fayetteville Police Department’s Traffic Unit is still investigating the accident.
Del Hierro, a native of Miami, Florida, entered the Army in September 2018 and arrived to Fort Bragg in March 2019.
“It’s a tragic day for all of us, his passing is felt across this organization and we will always remember him as a outstanding Soldier, Paratrooper and friend," Keller added. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones, friends, and fellow Paratroopers.”
His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and the Army Parachutist Badge.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
