A junior sailor died last month after a car crash in Hawaii, days after his 21st birthday.
Damage Controlman Fireman Sintereius J. Davis was driving westbound on the H-1 Freeway at about 5:30 p.m. on July 11 when he lost control at the Aiea off-ramp, struck an embankment and overturned, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
Davis was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Two other sailors were in the vehicle and sustained minor injuries, according to the Navy and police.
The accident’s cause is under investigation, police said.
Davis had been assigned to the guided-missile destroyer Hopper, his first assignment out of school.
“Fireman Davis checked onboard HOPPER shortly after Christmas 2018 and was recognized for his boundless energy, enduring smile and endless strength,” the command wrote on Facebook. “Sailors gravitated towards him because of his personality and willingness to be a good friend. As we remember him, we do so by celebrating his life.”
“A good-hearted Sailor who went out of his way to help another Sailor out,” a commenter noted.
“He will always be part of the HOPPER Ohana,” the command said in a statement.
Davis grew up in South Carolina and spent four years in the Air Force ROTC program at Edisto High School, according to his obituary.
A local news article states he was named an outstanding cadet in the spring of 2018, around the time of his graduation.
His family nicknamed him “Bamma” because he was a strong baby who reminded his mom of Bamm-Bamm, the Herculean baby from “The Flintstones” cartoon, his father, Trenton Culler, told Navy Times.
“The name stuck,” Culler said. “Tiny but strong.”
Culler recalled feeling fatherly pride when he lifted weights with his son in recent years and saw that his child had grown up strong, too.
“He had a big heart and anyone around him that got to know him knew that as well,” Culler said. “I’m going to miss his big smile and that big heart, always willing to help and go that extra mile.”
“Sintereius was mannerable and kind,” his obituary states. “He loved his family and never met a stranger. His love radiated through his actions and was evident by his electric smile. His presence while no longer on this earth will always be in many hearts.”
Davis is at least the 10th private motor vehicle fatality in the Navy this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, according to Navy records.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
