A U.S. Army basic trainee was struck by a vehicle and killed while on foot along a busy interstate outside of an Oklahoma base this week.

Pfc. Ocean K. Winfrey, 27, was assigned to the 434th Field Artillery Brigade to complete Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, the Army said. Winfrey enlisted as a network communications specialist in August and reported to the base in September.

According to a teletype transmitted on Sept. 11 at 4:44 a.m., Winfrey was near mile marker 41 on Interstate 44. The transmission, provided by the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, described Winfrey as a pedestrian.

Col. Tony H. Brunner, the brigade’s commander, expressed condolences for Winfrey’s family and loved ones, while praising his desire to serve.

“When Ocean raised his right hand to serve, he stepped forward to be part of something greater than himself, something that less than one percent of the U.S. population volunteer to do, and we honor his commitment and willingness to answer our nation’s call,” Brunner said in a Sept. 14 statement released by the Army.

On Sept. 12, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol posted a plea for witnesses and video footage of a “fatal vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision” that the agency said occurred on westbound I-44 near a bridge by Elwood Avenue on Sept. 10 between 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

A photo posted to the highway patrol’s Facebook page showed a right lane and shoulder with a concrete barrier wall blocked off with orange traffic cones.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is investigating Winfrey’s death with assistance from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.

Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.

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