Safety Standdown Time
Sadly, as the article states 3 Camp Pendleton Marines died in a one-vehicle accident. The California Highway Patrol received a call at about 2:30 a.m. for a single-car crash on the 5 Freeway near Lakewood Boulevard in Downey.
Looking at the damage to what remains of the 2018 Dodge Charger, it looks like speed was certainly a factor. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated that the driver had lost control of the car, which struck a metal guardrail and a concrete pillar of a pedestrian bridge. the car split in two and the two sections were found over 100 feet apart on the highway. When the car split into two sections, the two rear passengers were ejected onto the right shoulder and the two front passengers were trapped in the front section of the car as it caught on fire.
The Marines have been identified as 27-year-old Joshua Leandra Moore Jr., 26-year-old Daniel Nichols, and 21-year-old Rodrigo Zermeno Gomez. The fourth victim remained unidentified at this point.
Two of the Marines were assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 1, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force and the third was assigned to the 5th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force.
Sources:
https://www.latimes.com/
https://www.cbs8.com/article/
https://nypost.com/2023/06/27/
