A Navy petty officer who grew up in Greensburg has died in an automobile crash while on duty in the Middle Eastern nation of Bahrain.
Master at Arms Petty Officer 3rd Class Roger A. Napper Jr., 30, of Clio, Mich., was pronounced dead at the scene Saturday after his vehicle struck a utility pole in Bahrain's capital, Manama. An unidentified passenger in the car was taken to a nearby hospital. That person's injuries were not considered life-threatening, officials told the Navy Times.
Napper was the son of Myrna and Roger Napper Sr., of Greensburg. Survivors include a brother, Brandon, of Greensburg.
The four-year Navy veteran will be buried in Hadley, Mich., after a funeral service at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Heritage Baptist Church, 915 Lowry Ave., in Jeannette. Family and friends are invited to celebrate Napper's life at 6 p.m. at the church.
A memorial service will be held Monday in Bahrain. Napper was assigned to Mobile Security Squadron 3, Detachment Bahrain.
The crash remains under investigation, according to the Navy Times, citing a Navy spokesman.
Napper joined the Navy in 2002. In 2003, he was named Sailor of the Year at the Navy's Great Lakes Station. He also spent time in San Antonio, Texas.
Napper was a child when his family moved to Greensburg from San Diego, his birthplace.
Napper was married. He has a daughter who lives in Richmond, Va.
Seven sailors have been killed in vehicle crashes since the end of September, the Navy Times reports. Two Norfolk, Va.-based sailors died on Monday, while four sailors died in a wreck in Seattle on Sept. 30.
Bahrain is an island nation in the Persian Gulf and an important U.S. ally.
The Navy's Fifth Fleet is headquartered in Bahrain.
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