Ridge Alkonis

Last updated
Ridge Alkonis
Birth nameRidge Alkonis
Born1988 (age 35–36)
United States
Service/branchFlag of the United States Navy (official).svg  United States Navy
Rank US Navy O3 infobox.svg Lieutenant
Spouse(s)Brittany Alkonis
Criminal statusUnconditionally released on January 12, 2024
Conviction(s) Negligent driving resulting in death and injury
Criminal penalty3 years in prison
Details
DateMay 29, 2021
Location(s) Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan
Killed2
Injured3

Ridge Hannemann Alkonis (born 1988) is a United States Navy lieutenant who caused a fatal car crash in Fujinomiya in May 2021 that resulted in the deaths of two Japanese citizens. A Japanese court found Alkonis, who at the time was a weapons officer aboard the USS Benfold at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, guilty of negligent driving in 2022 and sentenced him to a three-year prison term. [1] After only a year of imprisonment in Japan, Alkonis was transferred to US custody and released unconditionally shortly after.

Contents

The Alkonis case has strained bilateral ties between the United States and Japan. [2] [3] [4]

Incident and aftermath

Crash and trial

On May 29, 2021, Alkonis was driving his wife and three children back from a day trip to Mt. Fuji. He fell asleep behind the wheel and drifted across the oncoming traffic lane and into a restaurant parking lot, crashing into several parked vehicles and pedestrians. A Japanese family of four, an elderly couple along with their daughter and son-in-law, were celebrating the mother's birthday at the restaurant. The 85-year-old mother and the 54-year-old son-in-law died as a result of this crash, [5] while the daughter of the 85-year-old (who was also the wife of the 54-year-old) had minor injuries. [6] Two occupants of the minivan Alkonis was driving also received extensive care at a hospital for neck and back pain. [7]

Alkonis pled guilty to negligent driving in hopes of receiving a suspended sentence. He wrote letters of apology and paid the bereaved families more than 160 million yen in extrajudicial restitution to the victims' families. [8] [9] At trial, Alkonis said he had been suffering from "acute mountain sickness" and that about five minutes before the crash "I felt my body get weak, and my car drifted out of the lane, but I was able to quickly correct it." [10] He added that he "should have immediately stopped my car" but continued to drive. Alkonis stated that his wife Brittany had also been feeling nauseous from the changes in elevation, leading her to lean her seat back and doze off shortly before the accident. [11] Five minutes later, Alkonis said, he began to talk with one of his children when he "lost his memory" and the crash ensued.

In October 2021, the Shizuoka District Court sentenced Alkonis to three years in prison for negligent driving resulting in death and injury, declaring that he should have pulled over once he felt drowsy. Alkonis appealed the judgement to have his sentence reduced.

In July 2022, a Tokyo High Court appellate panel of three judges upheld the Shizuoka District Court's judgement of a three-year prison term. The panel stated that Alkonis was negligent in falling asleep and failing to stop the car when he felt drowsy. [12] [13] Alkonis did not appeal the High Court’s decision and was imprisoned beginning in September 2022.

US Navy accident report

The US Navy conducted its own investigation of the accident and states in an accident report obtained by The New York Times and Military.com that Ridge "fell asleep" at the wheel and that his Toyota left the road and slammed into five cars outside a restaurant. [9] [14] It was completed by US military police officers who responded to the accident.

The accident report states that Alkonis' wife, Brittany, told the responding military officers that her husband "had fallen asleep at the wheel of the vehicle" and that they both "woke up when they felt the impact." The military first responders also concluded that "after reviewing the evidence on scene and statements gathered ... [Alkonis] fell asleep while driving."

Military.com states that the accident report was the basis of the charges brought against Alkonis by Japanese prosecutors. [7]

Acute mountain sickness defense

Although Alkonis pled guilty, he requested a lenient sentence based on the argument that he was suffering from acute mountain sickness -- a condition brought on by the reduced levels of oxygen found at higher altitudes that causes dizziness, fatigue and headaches. This diagnosis first became public during his trial testimony. The main evidence came from a screening Alkonis underwent as part of a Navy evaluation done a full month after the accident. According to Alkonis, two doctors—a general practitioner and a neurologist—diagnosed Alkonis with acute mountain sickness after the accident. [15]

According to a report produced by a US Navy officer who served as a US government observer at the trial, the Shizuoka District Court judge rejected the acute mountain sickness defense, given the location on Mount Fuji where Alkonis and his family began their drive home and because "the symptoms of mountain sickness are alleviated gradually as the altitude is lowered." [7] The site of the accident is about 1,000 feet above sea level, as compared to the more than 7,000-foot elevation of the Mount Fuji station from which Alkonis and his family set off. The same report states that Alkonis testified that after the crash he tried to help move the car that had trapped one of the victims. He also told the court that he saw a Japanese rescue worker talking with his wife and that he "tried to help translate for their conversation."

Peter Bärtsch, a specialist in high-altitude illnesses at Heidelberg University in Germany, told The New York Times that a sudden loss of consciousness because of mountain sickness would not have been possible under the circumstances. [16]

Withdrawal of U.S. Navy pay and benefits

In December 2022, Navy Times reported on the withdrawal of Alkonis' pay and benefits by the US Navy:

Family members of the 34-year-old sailor have lobbied the White House to seek early release for Alkonis. But Defense Department officials have said they respect the Japanese legal process, and last month said they would cut off pay and benefits for the service member and his family at the end of December. Alkonis had relied on unused leave and other time off to avoid being cut off from his military salary sooner. When it ran out, military officials classified him as absent in violation of orders, and made the pay decision. [17]

Senate lawmakers added language in sec. 8145 of the FY23 federal budget omnibus bill to order the Navy to sustain Alkonis' "pay and allowances". [18]

Transfer to United States custody and unconditional release

After 507 days in Japanese custody, in December 2023, Alkonis was transferred to a federal prison in Los Angeles after personal negotiations by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and national security adviser Jake Sullivan with the Japanese government. Under the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and the International Prisoner Transfer Program, Alkonis was transferred to United States custody, and it was reported at his transfer that administration officials said "he was likely to continue serving his sentence in the United States." [19] [20]

It was reported that a Department of Justice official said that "the parole commission process could take several months," and that they would "look at Alkonis’ prison sentence in Japan and determine what would have been done in the US, and then determine what his remaining punishment would be." However, the United States Parole Commission released him in under thirty days with no supervision, having served less than half of his sentence. [21] [22]

Response

Alkonis' imprisonment has caused tensions in US-Japan relations, amid growing US pressure to release Alkonis from Japanese custody. [3] In August 2022, some 20 U.S. Senators sent a letter to Japan's Prime Minister requesting the release of Alkonis, stating that they were "extremely troubled" by Japan's ruling. [23] The ruling was also criticized by the Wall Street Journal's Editorial Board, and over 30 Members of Congress, who expressed "deep concern" in a letter to President Biden that Japan had refused Alkonis basic due process. [24] [25] [26]

U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) was an especially vocal critic of Japan’s handling of the case. In February 2023, Sen. Lee issued an ultimatum on Twitter to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida demanding the extrajudicial release of Alkonis within 24 hours and threatened to cut off military aid to Japan if his demand was not met. [27] [28] News writer Jim Swift criticized the move as reckless in a The Bulwark op-ed. [29] After his deadline passed without action, he questioned the Status of Forces Agreement between the U.S. and Japan on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged an official complaint against Lee through the U.S. government calling his remarks "false and inappropriate" in March 2023. [30]

Following Alkonis' release, U.S. Senator Mike Lee has demanded an official apology from Japan for their actions in imprisoning Lt. Ridge Alkonis. [31]

See also

Death of Harry Dunn

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Cavalese cable car crash</span> 1998 incident involving a US Marine Corps aircraft and a cable car in Italy

The Cavalese cable car crash, also known as the Cermis massacre, occurred on 3 February 1998, near the Italian town of Cavalese, a ski resort in the Dolomites some 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Trento. Twenty people were killed when a United States Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler aircraft, flying too low and against regulations, cut a cable supporting a cable car of an aerial lift.

Jacqueline Mars is an American heiress and investor. She is the daughter of Audrey Ruth (Meyer) and Forrest Mars, Sr., and the granddaughter of Frank C. Mars, founders of the American candy company Mars, Incorporated. As of November 2023, Bloomberg Billionaires Index estimated her net worth at US$46.6 billion, ranking her the 23rd-richest person in the world. In the annual ranking of the richest women in the world in 2023, Forbes estimated her fortune at $38.3 billion and placed her in fourth place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tammy Lynn Sytch</span> American professional wrestling manager and actress (born 1972)

Tamara Lynn Sytch, commonly known by her ring name Sunny, is an American former professional wrestling personality.

Amy Rose Locane is an American actress known for her role in John Waters' 1990 musical comedy Cry-Baby. In 1992, Locane portrayed Sandy Harling in the first season of the prime time soap opera Melrose Place. She appeared in the 1992 film School Ties alongside Matt Damon and Brendan Fraser, as the object of their affections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Allen R. Schindler Jr.</span> American sailor murdered for being gay (1969–1992)

Allen R. Schindler Jr. was an American Radioman Petty Officer Third Class in the United States Navy who was murdered for being gay. He was killed in a public toilet in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan, by Terry M. Helvey, who acted with the aid of an accomplice, Charles E. Vins, in what Esquire called a "brutal murder". The case became synonymous with the debate concerning LGBT members of the military that had been brewing in the United States, culminating in the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy.

BOAC Flight 911 was a round-the-world flight operated by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) that crashed near Mount Fuji in Japan on 5 March 1966, with the loss of all 113 passengers and 11 crew members. The Boeing 707 jetliner involved disintegrated mid-air shortly after departing from Tokyo, as a result of severe clear-air turbulence.

The 1995 Okinawa rape incident occurred on September 4, 1995, when three U.S. servicemen, U.S. Navy Seaman Marcus Gill and U.S. Marines Rodrico Harp and Kendrick Ledet, all serving at Camp Hansen on Okinawa, rented a van and kidnapped a 12-year-old Okinawan girl. They beat her, duct-taped her eyes and mouth shut, and bound her hands. Gill and Harp then raped her, while Ledet claimed he only pretended to do so due to fear of Gill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accidents and incidents involving the V-22 Osprey</span>

The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American military tiltrotor aircraft whose history of accidents have provoked concerns about its safety. The aircraft was developed by Bell Helicopter and Boeing Helicopters; the companies work together to manufacture and support the aircraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hit and run</span> Failing to stop after causing or contributing to a traffic collision

In traffic laws, a hit and run or a hit-and-run is the criminal act of causing a traffic collision and not stopping afterwards. It is considered a supplemental crime in most jurisdictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 Yokohama F-4 crash</span> 1977 military aviation accident

The 1977 Yokohama F-4 crash occurred on 27 September 1977, in Yokohama, Japan. In the crash, a United States Marine Corps (USMC) McDonnell Douglas RF-4B-41-MC, BuNo 157344, c/n 3717, 'RF611' of VMFP-3 flown by a USMC crew based at nearby Naval Air Facility Atsugi, en route to USS Midway in Sagami Bay, suffered a mechanical malfunction, the port engine caught fire, and crashed into a residential neighborhood. The crash killed two boys, ages 1 and 3, and injured seven others, several seriously. The two-man crew of the aircraft, Capt. J. E. Miller, of Mendota, Illinois, and 1st Lt. D. R. Durbin, of Natchitoches, Louisiana, ejected and were not seriously injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Renisha McBride</span> 2013 murder in Dearborn Heights, Michigan

The murder of Renisha Marie McBride, a 19-year-old African American teenager, occurred on November 2, 2013, in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, United States. Renisha McBride crashed her car while intoxicated at a street in Detroit, and then walked to a neighborhood in Dearborn Heights where she knocked on the door of a house. The homeowner, 54-year-old Theodore Wafer, shot McBride with a shotgun. Wafer contended that the shooting was accidental and that he thought his home was being broken into after he heard her banging on his door at 4:42 in the morning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 Union Square derailment</span> New York City Subway derailment

On August 28, 1991, a 4 Lexington Avenue Express train on the New York City Subway's IRT Lexington Avenue Line derailed as it was about to enter 14th Street–Union Square station, killing five people. It was the worst accident on the subway system since the 1928 Times Square derailment. The motorman was found at fault for alcohol intoxication and excessive speed, and served time in prison for manslaughter.

Ohm Collins Chabane was a South African Minister of Public Service and Administration. At the age of 17, he went into exile and joined the African National Congress (ANC) underground military wing Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). Chabane also went to Angola for military training in 1980, and began work underground in 1981.

The 2015 Oklahoma State University homecoming parade attack occurred on October 24, 2015, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, when Adacia Avery Chambers intentionally drove her sedan into a crowd watching the homecoming parade for Oklahoma State University–Stillwater on the university's campus. Four people were killed in the crash, and 47 others were reported injured. Chambers pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and assault charges, and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The Fat Leonard scandal is an ongoing investigation and prosecution of corruption within the United States Navy during the 2000s and 2010s. It has involved ship support contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), a Thai subsidiary of the Glenn Marine Group. The Washington Post called the scandal "perhaps the worst national-security breach of its kind to hit the Navy since the end of the Cold War." The company's chief executive, president, and chairman, Malaysian national Leonard Glenn Francis bribed a large number of uniformed officers of the United States Seventh Fleet with at least a half million dollars in cash, plus travel expenses, luxury items, parties and prostitutes, in return for classified material about the movements of U.S. ships and submarines, confidential contracting information, and information about active law enforcement investigations into Glenn Defense Marine Asia.

Britt Reid is a former American football coach and convicted felon. He most recently served as an outside linebackers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). His coaching career began when he worked for his father Andy Reid as a Practice Squad Coach Intern in 2009 with the Philadelphia Eagles and continued as he worked in multiple defensive coaching positions for his father with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2013 to 2020. Reid won Super Bowl LIV as the Chiefs' linebackers and outside linebackers coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zdzisław Najmrodzki</span> 20th-century Polish criminal

Zdzisław Najmrodzki was a Polish thief active in the 1970s and the 1980s who has been described as one of the period's most famous criminals. He escaped from authorities 29 times, including escapes from a train, a courthouse window, Warsaw police headquarters, and a prison.

References

  1. ↑ "Yokosuka-based officer gets three years in prison for crash that killed two pedestrians". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  2. ↑ Ives, Mike; Ueno, Hisako (2023-02-21). "Victim or Criminal? A U.S. Navy Officer's Imprisonment in Japan". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  3. 1 2 NEWS, KYODO. "Japan, U.S. negotiating return of detained Navy officer: sources". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  4. ↑ Fadulu, Lola (2024-01-14). "U.S. Releases Navy Officer Imprisoned After Causing Fatal Crash in Japan". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  5. ↑ Basu, Zachary (2022-05-23). "Parents of Navy officer sentenced in Japan detail "tragic" accident". Axios. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  6. ↑ 静岡新聞社. "富士宮の店駐車場に車突っ込む 親子３人死傷 運転の米軍人逮捕｜あなたの静岡新聞". www.at-s.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  7. 1 2 3 Kheel, Konstantin Toropin,Rebecca (2023-03-22). "The Tragic, Conflicting and Now Politicized Tale of a US Sailor Sitting in a Japanese Prison". Military.com. Retrieved 2023-07-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ↑ "U.S. Navy officer facing 3 years in jail for deadly car crash in Japan". www.cbsnews.com. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  9. 1 2 Ives, Mike; Ueno, Hisako (2023-02-21). "Victim or Criminal? A U.S. Navy Officer's Imprisonment in Japan". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  10. ↑ "Navy officer attributes fatal car crash to altitude sickness after trip to Mount Fuji". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  11. ↑ Lee, Michael (2022-08-03). "Wife of Navy lieutenant imprisoned in Japan reveals toll it's taken on their children" . Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  12. ↑ "Navy officer must serve time for crash deaths, Tokyo High Court rules". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  13. ↑ "Navy officer must serve time for crash deaths, Tokyo High Court rules". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  14. ↑ Kheel, Konstantin Toropin,Rebecca (2023-03-22). "The Tragic, Conflicting and Now Politicized Tale of a US Sailor Sitting in a Japanese Prison". Military.com. Retrieved 2023-07-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ "Navy officer attributes fatal car crash to altitude sickness after trip to Mount Fuji". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  16. ↑ Ives, Mike; Ueno, Hisako (2023-02-21). "Victim or Criminal? A U.S. Navy Officer's Imprisonment in Japan". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  17. ↑ III, Leo Shane (2022-12-22). "Sailor jailed for fatal Japanese crash will get pay, benefits restored". Navy Times. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
  18. ↑ "Text - H.R.2617 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress".
  19. ↑ Tapper, Jake; Hansler, Jennifer (2023-12-14). "Navy officer released from Japanese prison booked into California federal prison | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  20. ↑ Shear, Michael D. (2023-12-14). "U.S. Naval Officer Is Released From Jail in Japan After Yearslong Effort". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  21. ↑ Tapper, Jake (2024-01-12). "GREAT AND BREAKING NEWS! This morning the US parole commission ordered the full parole and immediate release with no supervision of Navy Lt Ridge Alknois Here's a picture of the Alkonis family, reunited!!!". Twitter. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
  22. ↑ Tapper, Jake (2024-01-12). "US Navy officer recently transferred from Japanese prison has been released from US prison | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
  23. ↑ Atwood, Natasha; Bertrand, Kylie (2022-08-17). "Family of US Navy officer jailed in Japan over fatal car crash calls on Biden to intervene | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  24. ↑ "Japan, the U.S. and Lt. Alkonis". Wall Street Journal. 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  25. ↑ "Pardon Lt. Ridge Alkonis". Wall Street Journal. 2023-12-29. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  26. ↑ "The U.S. Navy's Stranded Lieutenant". Wall Street Journal. 2023-01-08. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  27. ↑ "Senator issues ultimatum to Japan's prime minister for return of imprisoned Navy officer". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  28. ↑ Hagstrom, Anders (2023-03-01). "Sen. Mike Lee demands release of US Navy vet imprisoned in Japan, threatens consequences". Fox News. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  29. ↑ Swift, Jim (2023-02-06). "Mike Lee's Reckless, Feckless Deadline for Japan". The Bulwark. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  30. ↑ "Japan complains to US over Utah senator's remarks on imprisoned Navy officer". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
  31. ↑ Lee, Mike (2024-01-13). "There are risks our military families face while deployed overseas. Being imprisoned for a car accident caused by an unforeseen medical emergency shouldn't be one of them. America owes the Alkonis family a debt of gratitude. Japan owes the family—and the U.S.—an apology". Twitter. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.