Marine Motorcyclist Killed in Multivehicle Collision on Highway 329 in Okinawa
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A 21-year-old Marine motorcyclist died Tuesday evening in a five-vehicle accident on Highway 329 in Kin town.
Lance Cpl. Avery Wayne Leverette, stationed at Camp Hansen, was pronounced dead at Chubu Hospital in Uruma City around 10:50 p.m., according to III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) spokesman Capt. Pawel Puczko. Leverette’s motorcycle collided with another Marine’s motorcycle at approximately 8:16 p.m., veering into oncoming traffic before hitting a passenger car and then a kei truck.
The other Marine, a 20-year-old corporal, was injured and is in stable condition at Naval Hospital Okinawa with a suspected broken ankle, authorities said.
Leverette, a Texas native, enlisted in March 2022 and was promoted to lance corporal in May 2023. His military honors include the Korea Defense Service Medal and two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, with U.S. military officials coordinating with local authorities. The III MEF expressed condolences, with Lt. Col. Kieran O’Neil stating, “His death is tragic, and the battalion joins his family in grief.”
Details regarding lane closures and vehicle tows following the accident have not been released.