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Oregon Tank Explosion: Two Men Killed Trying To Fire Round From WW2-Era Tank

By Aaron Homer
Published on: 09:21 PST, Oct 28, 2015

Two men were killed in an explosion Tuesday inside a World War 2-era tank at a firing range near Bend, Oregon, The Oregonian is reporting.

At about 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, the two men – identified as 51-year-old Steve Preston and 22-year-old Austin Lee – were inside the tank at Central Oregon Shooting Sports Association, a private shooting range about 25 miles from Bend, Oregon.

What happened, specifically, is not clear as of this post, and is being investigated. But the men were attempting to fire a round from the tank, and instead it exploded inside the tank, killing both men. Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson told KTVZ (Bend) that one of the men died instantly in the tank explosion, while the other one stayed alive long enough to talk to police. It is not clear, as of this post, which of the men died instantly and which one died after the explosion.

“One of the victims was still alive [when police arrived], and they were able to speak with that victim. Bend Fire Department did attempt life-saving efforts on that victim, but the victim died. This is a tragic day. Two families lost loved ones, and our hearts and prayers go out to those that loved ones today.”

For reasons that remain unclear, as of this post, a camera crew was at the shooting range at the time of the tank explosion. Investigators hope to use the crew’s video to determine the cause of the explosion.

“There was a camera crew on scene, and they were filming the tank. As to what they were filming or why they were filming, those details haven’t been found out yet.”

Businessman Steve Preston purchased the tank, a 1944 Buick “Hellcat” M18 tank destroyer in 1999 for $60,000.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal just last month, Present spoke lovingly of his tank, which he named “Rachel” after his wife. In remarks made available via The Oregonian, Preston praised the tank’s fighting ability.

“Everyone knows what a Sherman tank looks like. A tank destroyer looks similar but has thinner armor and an open top turret, for greater speed and visibility. The Hellcat was the fastest tracked vehicle of any kind during World War II, with a top speed of about 55 mph.”

Prior to Tuesday’s explosion, Preston had used the tank for fundraisers.

Preston was also the Board Director of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association, which posted an obituary on their website.

“It is with great sadness that the MVPA reports the passing of MVPA Board Director and Convention Chairman Steve Preston. Steve was fatally injured in an accident Tuesday, October 27 while participating in an historic military vehicle demonstration, an event that was among his favorite activities.”

According to this 2008 Automobile Magazine report, civilians buying antique tanks and other vintage military equipment is perfectly legal – as long as it’s been disarmed. Steve Preston, however, petitioned the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to be legally allowed to re-arm the tank, as he told The Discovery Channel in 2011.

“I’ve owned [the tank] for about 12 years, but it was just recently that I made the gun live on it, so I actually have an operating cannon on it. [My friend Chuck] is an explosives expert friend of mine, so he’s going to help me load it up.”

Authorities say the Oregon tank explosion poses no danger to the general public.

[Image via Shutterstock/Ivan Cholakov]

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