An intersection in Sunabe, Japan, outside Kadena Air Base as seen on Dec. 5, 2025. (Ryan M. Breeden/Stars and Stripes)
A U.S. soldier died Friday after being struck by a vehicle following a motorcycle crash in central Okinawa, according to police.
The soldier, a 28-year-old specialist assigned to Torii Station, was pronounced dead at 5:59 a.m. at an undisclosed hospital in central Okinawa, a spokesman for the Okinawa Prefectural Police said by phone. He died of internal bleeding, pelvic fractures and other injuries, the spokesman added.
The crash occurred Thursday night at a T-junction on Route 58 in the Sunabe district of Chatan town near Kadena Air Base, he said.
The soldier was driving his motorcycle north on Route 58 at around 9 p.m. Thursday when another vehicle turned right from the opposite lane in front of him, causing him to hit the median and fall to the ground. He was then struck by a second vehicle that was traveling south, the spokesman said.
The driver of the second vehicle, a 24-year-old Okinawan, suffered no injuries and was not identified by the spokesman.
The driver of the first vehicle fled without providing aid or reporting the incident, the spokesman said. It was unclear whether that vehicle hit the soldier’s motorcycle, he added.
Police are investigating the crash and interviewing witnesses, the spokesman said.
U.S. Army Japan and Torii Station did not immediately respond to email and phone inquiries from Stars and Stripes after hours on Friday.
Some Japanese government officials speak to the press only on condition of anonymity.
The soldier is the fourth U.S. service member to be killed in motorcycle accidents this year on Okinawa.
On Oct. 30, Air Force Staff Sgt. Gregory Peterson died of a brain hemorrhage he sustained after his motorcycle collided with a compact car on Oct. 17 in the Isa area of Ginowan city.
Marine Lance Cpl. Alexi Gamboa was killed in August after his motorcycle hit a curb, sending him into a fence on a main thoroughfare in Nago city.
In May, Marine Cpl. Nathaniel Curtis was killed and another Marine motorcyclist was injured in a three-vehicle accident, also in Nago.
AloJapan.com