Marine Raider Killed in ATV Accident During Training Exercise

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FILE PHOTO -- U.S. Marines coordinate and execute a company attack on Range 400 during Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 2-19 aboard Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Jan. 25, 2019 (U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Nathaniel Q. Hamilton)
FILE PHOTO -- U.S. Marines coordinate and execute a company attack on Range 400 during Integrated Training Exercise (ITX) 2-19 aboard Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., Jan. 25, 2019 (U.S. Marine Corps/Lance Cpl. Nathaniel Q. Hamilton)

A Marine assigned to Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command was fatally injured Saturday during training aboard Camp Pendleton, California, MARSOC officials announced Monday.

The Marine, who has not been identified, was a critical skills operator with 1st Marine Raider Battalion, MARSOC spokesman Maj. Nicholas Mannweiler told Military.com. He and two other Raiders were injured in a single-vehicle accident involving a Polaris MRZR -- an unarmored ultra-light all-terrain vehicle that has been fielded to Marine Corps and special operations troops.

This is the first reported Marine Corps training accident fatality involving an MRZR.

The Marine sustained critical injuries in the accident and required aeromedical evacuation to an area California hospital, Mannweiler said. He died Sunday night.

The two other Raiders sustained minor injuries, officials said.

Mannweiler said the Marines were completing a company collective exercise as part of standard pre-deployment training at the time of the accident.

The Marine's identity will be released following notification of next of kin, according to a release.

Officials are now investigating the incident.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.

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