A junior sailor home on leave died in an Indiana automobile crash late last month, officials confirmed this week.

Airman Recruit Wyatt Michael Hoaks, 19, was driving down a Newton County road on March 24 when for unknown reasons his crossover Sport Utility Vehicle left the pavement and entered private property, striking trees, according to a sheriff’s office crash report provided to Navy Times.

Deputies found the Indiana native unresponsive. He was declared dead at the scene of the accident.

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A 2018 graduate of South Newton High School, service records show that Hoaks enlisted in August and reported to the Virginia-based aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in December.

The carrier departed Norfolk April 1 on a globetrotting deployment that will wind up at its new California homeport, Naval Air Station North Island.

In high school, he was an accomplished athlete on the football, basketball and wrestling teams, according to his obituary.

An active participant in 4-H, he had earned grand champion honors in several events.

Naval Safety Center records indicate that Hoaks is at least the 14th sailor to die in an off duty motor vehicle accident since the federal fiscal year began on Oct. 1.

Geoff is the editor of Navy Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.

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