Nationwide — Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey, a 34-year-old African American soldier from Killeen, Texas, was one of two soldiers killed in a military helicopter crash in Salado. He had been serving in the Army since 2014 and was stationed at Fort Hood.
The crash happened around 1:34 p.m. Wednesday when an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter from Fort Hood went down in Salado. Bell County Sheriff’s Office officials described the crash as “violent.”
According to 11Alive, the Army later identified the two soldiers killed as Huey and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead, 25. Both soldiers served with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division.
Huey was from the city of Killeen and had graduated from Killeen High School in 2011. Before joining the Army, he played football for the Killeen Kangaroos.
The crash also sparked a large grassfire near the site. Officials evacuated nearby residents as firefighters worked to contain the flames. No buildings were damaged, and Texas A&M Fire Services reported that the fire was 95% contained by 7:38 p.m. Wednesday.
Fort Hood officials expressed condolences to the families of Huey and Olmstead. Lt. Gen. Kevin D. Admiral, III Armored Corps and Fort Hood commanding general, said the loss affected the Army and the surrounding community.