Iraq war veteran injured during home visit

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A New Richmond graduate has been in some dangerous situations the past few years. He’s served three tours of duty in Iraq over the past five years.

But a simple walk across the street back home proved to be more hazardous.

Frederick M. Horne, 25, stationed at Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Ga., and his cousin Laurel R. Barney, 26, Hastings, were crossing Broad Street in Hastings, Minn. when they were struck by an automobile driven by Anthony P. Freiheit, 18, Prescott, on Aug. 9.

Barney and Horne were injured and transported to Regina Medical Center in Hastings. Both suffered broken legs in the incident, while Barney had additional injuries to contend with. Horne was treated and released.

Freiheit was not injured. He was cited for an absolute sobriety violation.

Horne, a 2001 graduate from NRHS, has been in the Air Force for more than six years. He’s back in Georgia recuperating. Doctors say it will be six weeks before he can get his cast off.

Horne has gotten plenty of grief from his buddies since being hit by a car, after three tours in Iraq went well for him.

“I’ve been getting plenty of comments at work about it,” Horne said.

His most recent tour in Iraq ended June 27 in near tragedy as a C-130 transport plane he was on crashed in a field after experiencing mechanical problems at take-off.

“All four engines went out,” Horne said in a telephone interview on Monday. “We ended up crash landing. Nobody was hurt, except for a couple of scrapes and bruises.”

The crash occurred just outside the Baghdad International Airport.

Horne is a senior airman in the Air Force and he works with ground commanders when calling in air support.

Tags: iraq veteran, pedestrian traffic accident, news