National Guardsman dies in traffic wreck

Services are planned this weekend for an Oklahoma National Guard specialist who was killed in a traffic accident.<br/> Troops who fought alongside 22-year-old James Benjamen Pierce of Hooker say it's

Wednesday, July 7th 2004, 1:05 pm

By: News On 6

Services are planned this weekend for an Oklahoma National Guard specialist who was killed in a traffic accident.
Troops who fought alongside 22-year-old James Benjamen Pierce of Hooker say it's unbelievable he survived fighting in Iraq, only to be killed in a wreck.
Specialist Mikel Chapman says Pierce survived attacks by Iraqi insurgents armed with everything from rocket-propelled grenades to automatic rifles.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says Pierce was killed Sunday when his pickup truck left a Woodward County road and rolled four times. Trooper Pat Fike says he smelled the odor of alcohol on Pierce, who was not wearing a seat belt. Fike says it's unclear what role
alcohol may have played in the crash around 4:20 a-m Sunday.
Pierce's funeral services are planned for 2 p-m Saturday at the Hooker High School gym.