The Humvee bumped over uneven terrain, the road a winding labyrinth of potholes and divots. Three soldiers sat in the vehicle, driving back to the base after a long day of pararescue training with the U.S. Air Force. The driver wore a seatbelt, but one passenger was sitting with half his body through the roof and the other rode in the backseat with only his shoulder strap secured.
In the blink of an eye, the driver hit a large bump, overcorrected, and lost control of the vehicle. The soldier riding with his head outside the roof barely had enough time to pull himself back inside and hold on to the seats as the Humvee flipped. The passenger wearing only the shoulder restraint – Matthew Gonzales – wasn’t as lucky.