The family of a naval officer, who caused a fatal accident, has revealed that he is now in the custody of the United States after serving a 3-year sentence in Japan.
The family of a Navy officer who was imprisoned in Japan for causing a fatal car accident that claimed the lives of two Japanese citizens has announced that he has been moved to U.S. custody and is now being sent back to the United States.
Lt. Ridge Alknois had previously been in command.
Completing a three-year term of incarceration.
In May 2021, the individual admitted guilt to causing the deaths of an elderly woman and her son-in-law due to negligent driving.
“After 507 days, Lt. Ridge Alkonis is finally returning to the United States. While we are hopeful about Ridge’s transfer, we cannot fully rejoice until he is back with his family,” stated the family, who reside in Dana Point, California, in a release to The Associated Press.
She stated to CBS News following her spouse’s guilty verdict and shortly before he was set to commence his incarceration in 2022.
She remembered that he was in good condition and aware before the accident occurred. He had even noticed that I was prone to getting motion sickness and cautioned me to be cautious.
The spouse of a U.S. Navy officer, who was convicted in Japan for causing a fatal accident, appeals for assistance from the government.
During that period, Alkonis’ spouse expressed her belief that involvement from the United States government could prevent him from being incarcerated. However, at that point in time, the U.S. Embassy had only stated that they were monitoring his situation.
In the spring of 2021, following a series of onshore duties, the individual from Southern California was getting ready for a mission as a department head aboard the USS Benfold, a destroyer equipped with missiles.
On May 29, 2021, as the deadline approached, his family embarked on a trip to hike and sightsee Mount Fuji.
After scaling part of the mountain, they returned to the car and drove towards a restaurant and ice cream shop located at the foot of Mount Fuji. While conversing with his 7-year-old daughter, Alkonis unexpectedly lost consciousness while driving, according to his family. They claim he was so disoriented that neither his daughter’s frantic cries nor the force of the crash could awaken him.
Following the accident near Fujinomiya, he was apprehended by Japanese officials and placed in solitary confinement for 26 days at a police detention center. He was interrogated numerous times a day and did not receive any medical attention or evaluation, according to a statement from a spokesperson for his family. The statement also states that when American authorities arrived to take Alkonis into their custody and bring him back to a U.S. base, he was already being held by the Japanese.
He was accused of causing a fatal accident due to negligent driving and was convicted to serve three years in jail.
Following the verdict, Alkonis’ relatives attempted to keep the case in the public eye by gathering outside the White House. President Joe Biden also brought up the case during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in May.
Alkonis is an expert in underwater warfare and acoustic engineering. At the time of the accident, they had been serving as a civilian volunteer and naval officer in Japan for almost seven years.
Source: cbsnews.com