Second Lieutenant Max George, 26, died on 21 June 2022 during a training exercise on Salisbury Plain when a Warrior armoured vehicle reversed into him. The inquest at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner's Court revealed that a safety alarm designed to alert the driver if the rear doors were open had been faulty since 2018 due to a broken wire. Lt Col Graham Watson, who led the service inquiry, stated the driver would likely have stopped if the alarm had functioned.
The incident occurred as 2nd Lt George exited the vehicle to take command on the ground during the Combat Spirit exercise. The vehicle was stationary for up to 43 seconds after the collision, with soldiers attempting to halt its movement. The FV-511 model involved was not typically used for disembarking troops, and personnel were less familiar with its operation compared to other variants. The inquest highlighted known faults with the vehicles but concluded these did not warrant their removal from service.
Read the full story: BBC UK News.
Source: BBC UK News. Aggregated summary, not independent reporting.