Soldier from Gainesville seriously injured in Iraq

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - A young soldier from Gainesville is fighting for his life after being seriously injured in an explosion in Iraq.

Matthew Turner's lungs were seared by chemicals he inhaled, according to his stepfather, Ronnie Edge.

"They had some facial burns but they were fairly minor," Edge said. "It was what they inhaled, the chemicals (that caused most of the damage)."

Turner, a 2003 graduate of West Hall High School, is on a ventilator. Two other soldiers, including one from Cobb County, were also injured in the incident.

"They say that a lot of times it's fatal, instantly," Edge said, "and I just want everybody to pray for him."