Soldier dies after being hit by armoured vehicle on Salisbury Plain

A soldier has died in an incident involving an armoured vehicle during a training exercise on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire – the second such occurrence in under a year.

Emergency services were called to a stretch of the plain west of Tidworth at about 10.45am on Tuesday after reports that a man had been involved in a collision, Wiltshire police said.

The 26-year-old man had suffered serious head injuries after being struck by a Warrior infantry fighting vehicle and died at the scene, the force said.

The victim was a member of 5th Battalion the Rifles, and had been on foot when he was hit.

An army spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the death of a soldier in Wiltshire on 21 June. Our thoughts are with the soldier’s family and friends at this difficult time and we ask that their privacy is respected.”

Wiltshire police said it was leading the investigation alongside the army and the Health and Safety Executive.

In October last year, Pte Jethro Watson-Pickering, 23, was killed during a training exercise on Salisbury Plain when his Warrior armoured vehicle overturned.

He was taking part in Exercise Iron Storm, one of the largest held for years on the military training base.

There have been 152 deaths of UK armed forces members in military exercises from January 2000 to February 2022, according to the most recent MoD statistics. Of these deaths, 101 were in the army.

Of all deaths among UK armed forces personnel, 5% occurred on training or exercise.

In 2013, three SAS reservists died after a 16-mile (26km) exercise in the Brecon Beacons. L/Cpl Edward Maher, 31, L/Cpl Craig Roberts, 24, and Cpl James Dunsby, 31, suffered heatstroke and died after the trek during which they carried up to 27kg (60lbs) on their backs on one of the hottest days of the year.

A spokesperson from the HSE said: “HSE is aware of an incident and have been in contact with Wiltshire police who are leading the investigation.”