An investigation is underway in Texas to determine if any criminal wrongdoing was involved in a deadly crash involving a National Guard helicopter.
The incident that occurred on March 8 near the U.S.-Mexico border claimed the lives of Chief Warrant Officer 2 Casey Frankoski and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Grassia, both of whom were members of the New York Army National Guard. Also tragically killed was Chris Luna, a U.S. Border Patrol agent and a resident of South Texas. This devastating event was confirmed by U.S. officials.
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During the incident, a National Guard member who remains unidentified sustained injuries in a collision that took place in the rural area of Starr County.
The UH-72 Lakota helicopter, which was assigned to Washington, D.C.’s Army National Guard, was involved in the crash. Despite the crew being based in New York, military officials have confirmed this information.
The authorities have not yet disclosed the reason behind the crash.
“We have handed over the case to the Department of Defense, but we are conducting our own investigation to ascertain if any criminal activity took place,” stated Major Carlos Delgado of the Starr County Sheriff’s Office in an email to ABC News.
According to Delgado, the official investigation began right after they received a call requesting emergency medical services and their presence.
ABC News uncovered the existence of this investigation when we requested public records related to the crash from officials in Starr County, Texas, under the Texas Public Information Act.
The Office of the Starr County Attorney and the Starr County Sheriff’s Office first directed ABC News to the Department of Defense when asked for records. However, upon clarification that the request was for local records, the county denied the request. They cited a Texas law that prohibits the release of information if it would interfere with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of crime.
The criminal investigation in Starr County is being conducted separately from the safety investigation previously mentioned. The safety investigation is being led by the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Novosel in Alabama.
According to Jimmie E. Cummings, Jr., spokesperson for the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, the ongoing investigation is focused solely on safety. “Our involvement is limited to this safety investigation,” Cummings stated.
According to Delgado, the Starr County Sheriff’s Office has not yet received the final reports. They continue to assert that Texas law permits them to refuse the release of any further information.
