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But Anne Sacoolas will not return voluntarily from the U.S. to face the charge, according to her attorney, reportsThe Guardian.
The August 27 crash that killed Harry Dunn “was a terrible but unintentional accident,” said a statement from the attorney, Amy Jeffress, reportsSky News.
The statement said Sacoolas has “been in contact with the U.K. authorities about ways in which Anne could assist with preventing accidents like this from happening in the future, as well as her desire to honor Harry’s memory.” But it also stated: “This was an accident, and a criminal prosecution with a potential penalty of 14 years imprisonment is simply not a proportionate response.”
Sacoolas flew out of the U.K. under cover of diplomatic immunity shortly after the incident, despite allegedly telling police she had “no plans to leave the country in the near future,” according toNorthamptonshire Police.
The fatal collision as Sacoolas allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road occurred around 8:30 p.m. near U.S. Air Force communications station RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire when a black Volvo XC90 struck Dunn’s Kawasaki motorcycle. Dunn died in the hospital a short while later.
With the announcement of the charge against Sacoolas, Dunn’s mother Charlotte Charles said Friday, “We feel that we’ve taken a huge step in the start of achieving the promise to Harry that we made,” reports Sky News.
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But the parents were taken aback when they learned that Trump apparently wanted to bring in Sacoolas to meet with them, telling them “that Anne Sacoolas was in the building,” Charlotte Charles later toldCBS This Morningin a joint interview with Harry’s father, Tim Dunn. They declined.
Speaking afterward to reporters, Trump confirmed the meeting, which was held without the media present, and said he “offered to bring the [driver] in question in and they weren’t ready for it.”
In announcing the charge in the U.K. on Friday, the Crown Prosecution Service said it would pursue efforts to extradite Sacoolas, reportsThe Guardian.
Radd Seiger, a spokesman for Dunn’s parents, praised the prosecution service’s actions, reports Sky News.
“In their darkest hour they have stood up to this and followed through on their promise to get justice for their son.”
Nick Adderly, chief constable of Northamptonshire Police, whose officers interviewed Sacoolas in the U.S. before turning over the results of their investigation to prosecutors, told Sky News: “We will support the Crown Prosecution Service where we can but we will now let justice run its course.”
He added: “We hope that we see Anne Sacoolas back in the U.K. to face justice.”
source: people.com
