U.S. naval officer in Japan faces prison over deadly crash

10 comments

1. It may have been an accident, but it was an accident that claimed the lives of two innocent people. I feel being asked to serve three years is not that harsh.

   The man should feel grateful he’s not Japanese. If he were, even after getting out of jail, his life would be done. Just done. Family, too.

2. Has anyone else here had acute mountain sickness after driving up to the fifth station (about 2,300 metres above sea level)? I vaguely remember that my ears popped a little.

   This story feels a little off.

   Regardless, it sounds like this fella does top secret stuff. Why didn’t his employer just say *”No.”*?

   That usually works out fine when one of their guys accidentally kills someone while posted overseas.

3. American soldiers who’ve stayed on foreign military bases should be careful when they go outside.

   Those soldiers’ behaviors might be the whole image of the US & its people, so the US defense ministry should give them proper educational courses to be Americans who love keeping the law system before they dispatching to foreign nations.

   Because they should become the warriors of democracy, not the lawbreakers of those countries.

   For instance, Okinawa’s residents don’t like American soldiers since they committed diverse crimes.

4. 2 people dead and he only got 3 years. I think it should be about 20.

5. His family clearly has no shame or sense of honor. Their son’s actions took two lives and now their poor son may have to spend three years in prison while the japanese family have lost their loved ones forever – who should I grieve for?

   The hell with whatever mitigating factors – altitude sickness – they are claiming.

   He killed two people – they need to shut up and go away.

   Shame

   Shame

   Shame

6. Okay that’s …good?

   U.S. Government personnel stationed in other countries are supposed to follow local laws.

7. I actually went to college with this guy’s cousin and on Insta, she just keeps asking for “a fair application of Japanese law”

   Think it’s pretty clear that regardless of the circumstances, even though it was unintentional, he killed 2 people, so prison sounds about right

8. These people are viewing crashes through an American’s perspective on cars. Here most things in cars are “accidents”. In many places you are actually responsible for what you do in your car.

9. If this happened to an E6 & below no one would have even known.

10. He’s being treated exactly the same way a Japanese would have been treated. Even causing injury in a vehicle crash in Japan is cause for criminal charges.

    It’s amusing to see the family expressing their surprise that his expressions of remorse didn’t make things go away while he continues to proclaim that he’s not at fault it was all a big accident brought on by sudden mountain sickness not you know, actually his own negligence. Because I know nothing says I’m sorry and regret it and I made a mistake quite like you don’t understand it wasn’t my fault please don’t do this I’m appealing.