Lance Corporal Albert A Aguilera,Lance Corporal Marcelino M Gamino Obituary, Death;- Last month, two Marines lost their lives and another sustained serious injuries in a vehicular accident. The incident occurred when their vehicle swerved off the road to avoid oncoming traffic while attempting to overtake another vehicle, as detailed in an accident report from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office, which was acquired by KTSM. As previously reported, the crash took place on the morning of April 15 during a convoy operation near Santa Teresa, New Mexico.
The deceased were identified as Lance Corporal Albert A. Aguilera, 22, from Riverside, California, and Lance Corporal Marcelino M. Gamino, 28, from Fresno, California, both of whom served as combat engineers with the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division. The report also identified the severely injured Marine, who was driving at the time of the accident, as Zeth Collins, 19. On April 15, the three Marines were part of a convoy traveling west on Highway 9 in a Jeep truck, escorted by Border Patrol.
According to the report, they were the last vehicles in the convoy and approached a large commercial truck. Collins, the driver of the Jeep, attempted to overtake the commercial vehicle and swerved to the south shoulder to avoid an eastbound car. The report indicates that the driver did not clear the roadway before attempting the pass and failed to notice the eastbound vehicle, leading to the swerve into the south shoulder.
The Jeep continued along the shoulder and ultimately crashed into a ditch wall. The vehicle sustained significant front-end damage, and the rear bed was bent upwards due to the impact. The report noted that the Jeep was traveling within the posted speed limit, with improper passing and driver inattention cited as contributing factors to the accident. The 1st Marine Division confirmed that the three Marines were transported to a hospital in El Paso, where Aguilar and Gamino were pronounced dead.
