The United States Marine Corps celebrated its 250th anniversary with a grand event held at Camp Pendleton in California on October 18th. However, during a live fire artillery exercise, an accident occurred when artillery shrapnel hit a highway patrol car.
The incident took place on the 5 Freeway near Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, as revealed by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) on October 20th. The Marine Corps was conducting the artillery exercise in preparation for the upcoming 250th anniversary celebration scheduled for November 10th. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth were among the distinguished guests at the ceremony.
According to the CHP, a piece of artillery shrapnel accidentally struck a patrol car causing damage to the vehicle’s surface. Fortunately, there were no reports of any injuries resulting from the incident.
Immediately following the accident, the CHP notified the Marine Corps, prompting the cancellation of further live fire exercises near the highway. The area was subsequently inspected by the patrols to ensure safety.
During the live fire exercises, traffic on the highways near the base had been temporarily suspended by the California government, with only highway patrol officers carrying out traffic control duties.
Tony Coronado, head of the highway patrol, expressed concerns about the unusual situation, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the safety of the public and law enforcement officers above all else, even during military training exercises.
Following the incident, the highway patrol submitted an internal report and recommended additional post-review evaluations for federal, state, and local governments to enhance safety protocols for future training activities near public roads.
Upon learning that live fire activities were scheduled over a busy highway, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the closure of a section of the 5 Freeway. Initially, the Marine Corps had indicated that all training activities would be conducted within approved boundaries and safety protocols without necessitating the closure of any public highways or traffic routes.
Subsequently, after being informed of the live fire activity scheduled for October 18th at 1:30 pm, the state government, based on the advice of traffic safety experts from the highway patrol, implemented a phased closure of a 17-mile section of the 5 Freeway during the exercise.
Some Republican lawmakers criticized this decision, branding it as a “malicious publicity stunt.” Vance’s spokesperson also accused Newsom of misleading the public about the safety risks involved.
While Marine Corps officials insisted that closing the highway was unnecessary and their live fire exercises were safe and routine, the incident where artillery shrapnel hit the patrol car demonstrated that even with precautions, safety is paramount.
The Pentagon forwarded requests for comments from Epoch Times to the Marine Corps. As of the time of publication, both the Marine Corps and Vance’s office had not responded to the requests for comment.