A non-active duty marine was badly injured after falling from a USMC military truck during the Veteran’s Day Parade.
The man, who was not identified at the scene, suffered neck and head injuries, but appeared to be conscious and talking.
The incident occurred after 2 p.m. along Fifth Avenue and 27th Street, a block north of Madison Square Park, just as the parade got off to a late start.
“He fell from the back of the vehicle,” said one witness at the scene. “When the vehicle started moving, the lift or something pushed his foot and he fell backwards onto the ground.”
“I didn’t know what was going on,” the driver of the truck said. “I heard the flag at the back of the truck rattle and then screams. He must’ve tried to grab the flag to keep himself from falling.”
NYPD officers covering the parade event immediately leaped into action after witnessing the man fall from the back of the truck.
The man was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.
