A 21-year-old Marine was killed in a vehicle accident on Saturday, Marine Corps officials confirm.
Lance Cpl. Derrick Thirkill, originally from Florence, Alabama, was killed in a collision that happened around 4 p.m., the Island Packet reported.
He is married with one infant child, who also were in the vehicle at the time of the accident, Beaufort County Coroner Ed Allen told the Packet.
The accident was on Highway 21 in Beaufort, South Carolina, according to the Marine Corps.
Thirkill was a water purification support technician with Marine Wing Support Detachment 273, spokeswoman Sgt. Brittney Vella told Marine Corps Times in an emailed statement.
His awards include the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
“Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of our fallen Marine,” Vella said.
In 2018 the No. 1 mishap killer of Marines, according to the Corps, was car and motorcycle accidents. They accounted for nearly 60 percent of all Marine mishap deaths that year.
Andrea Scott is editor of Marine Corps Times.
