Fort Bliss soldiers killed in fiery Loop 375 crash are identified

UPDATE, July 21: The U.S. Army on Wednesday released the identities of two Fort Bliss soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Division who were killed in a fiery weekend traffic crash along Loop 375 at Spur 601.

The pair who died in the fiery crash were Sgt. 1st Class Keith Rambo, 32, a Michigan native, and Spc. Malvin Kyei-Baffour, 21, a native of Red Oak, Texas. Authorities have indicated both soldiers were killed when their car went up in flames upon impact from the crash that involved multiple vehicles.

In a statement, officials at Bliss said they were “deeply saddened by the tragic loss" of both soldiers.

UPDATE, July 20: Authorities said Tuesday that a pair of Fort Bliss soldiers who died in a fiery weekend traffic crash along Loop 375 were killed when their vehicle went up in flames upon impact.

Two other passengers in that car survived the inferno - one was ejected, while the other was saved from burning to death when he was pulled from the backseat of the vehicle by several unknown Good Samaritans who were passing by.

Investigators said the crash happened when a car veered and struck a guardrail, splitting it apart; the passenger compartment of that car was then struck by another car carrying the soldiers - which police said was speeding. The driver of the car that split in two was seriously hurt.

Meantime, the soldier's car continued traveling several hundred feet after impact before crashing into a ramp and catching fire, a police incident report said. The two deceased soldiers were the driver and front passenger of the car that went up in flames, while the two seriously-injured survivors were the backseat passengers.

Police didn't identify the soldiers killed, but did release the names of the trio injured: 27–year-old Jhairo Jonathan Ajtun Martinez, 35–year-old Luis Aneudy Velasquez and 21–year-old Ruby Navarrete.

UPDATE, July 19: Two people killed in a fiery weekend crash involving multiple vehicles along Loop 375 were soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss, the U.S. Army confirmed to ABC-7 on Monday.

In addition, officials said a third soldier was among three additional crash victims who were hospitalized after the Sunday morning collision on Loop 375 north at Spur 601.

The Army indicated the two deceased and one injured soldier were all on active duty status and assigned to the 1st Armored Division.

El Paso police had no new details on the crash investigation to provide as of Monday morning.

ORIGINAL REPORT, July 18: EL PASO, Texas -- Two people were killed and three others injured in a fiery crash involving multiple vehicles along a portion of Loop 375 early Sunday morning.

The deadly crash occurred around 4 a.m. on Loop 375 north at Spur 601, which was shut down as firefighters put out a blaze involving one of the multiple cars involved in it.

Of the three victims taken to hospitals from the collision scene, authorities said two of them were in serious condition.

Investigators were on scene in an effort to determine what triggered that crash.

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