After 26 Years in Army Veteran Killed 9 Days After Retiring

Decorated war veteran with Austin ties killed in crash
American-Statesman
By James Barragan Staff
January 15, 2016

Martinez, 49, had retired from the Army on Dec. 31 and was looking forward to spending more time with friends and family, said his brother Octavio Martinez.

Sgt. 1st Class Carlos Martinez, who was killed in a car crash in Ohio on

Jan. 9. Martinez, who grew up in Austin and was profiled by the American

Statesman, had just retired from the U.S. Army after a 26-year career.

A decorated war veteran who grew up in Austin and had just retired from the U.S. Army after a 26-year career was killed last weekend in a car crash in Ohio.

Carlos Martinez, who was profiled by the American-Statesman in 2006 for his work defusing explosives for the Army, was returning to his Pennsylvania home after a trip to Indiana on Jan. 9 when a Dodge Avenger driving in the opposite direction hit several other cars before going through a grass median and a guardrail and hitting the Toyota Prius that Martinez and his wife were in.

Martinez’s wife, Laura, who was driving the Prius, suffered severe injuries but survived the crash.
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