The death of an airman from Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, airman last year was the result of injuries he sustained when an off-road utility vehicle overturned, an official Air Force investigation determined.
Staff Sgt. Jordan Lewis, 30, was killed May 11, 2015, when he was thrown from a 2011 Polaris RZR utility vehicle that rolled over, Air Force Special Operations Command said in a statement.
Medical examiners determined last year that Lewis likely died due to injuries from the crash, but a fatal accident requires a thorough examination from an Air Force mishap board.
"The loss of Sergeant Lewis is tragic," Col. Jacqueline Powell, the president of the Ground Accident Investigation Board and deputy director of operations at AFSOC, said in a press release. "He was a dedicated warrior and a valued member of the AFSOC community. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with his family and loved ones."
Official reports said that Lewis, a CV-22 Osprey flight engineer with the 27th Special Operations Support Squadron, was training on the Melrose Air Force Range — located about 35 miles west of Clovis, New Mexico — when the accident occurred.
A second airman was injured in the crash but was treated and released.
Lewis was a combat veteran with multiple deployments to Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa, the Air Force said.
