Army to release report on Piestewa ambush in Iraq

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2003

The Army will release a report tomorrow on the March 23 ambush in Iraq that led to the death of Lori Piestewa, the Hopi tribal member who was the only U.S. servicewoman to the die in the war, The Washington Times reports.

According to The Times, the report will say that Piestewa and Jessica Lynch, a friend and roommate, were not injured by Iraqi fire. Instead, they were hurt when a vehicle Piestewa was driving was struck by a "projectile" and then crashed into a disabled tractor-trailer, The Times says.

Piestewa, 23, was subsequently taken to a hospital, where she died, The Times adds. She was not killed at the scene of the ambush.

Piestewa's story has drawn national coverage but not as intense as Lynch, who was the focus of press reports that alleged she fought against her Iraqi attackers and was wounded. The Washington Post subsequently published an investigation that retracted its earlier account of the ambush.

According to Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz), Piestewa came under fire during the attack. The Times does not disclose whether the Army report will mention this.

Get the Story:
Crash caused Lynch's 'horrific injuries' (The Washington Times 7/9)

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