Diplomat’s wife Anne Sacoolas kills British teen & flees to US to avoid charges

[Novice]

I have a hard time imagining any training that would help driving on the opposite side as you're used to--except practice. A driving simulator like a video game?

The article said this accident was "close" to the scene of the Harry Dunn/Anne Sacoolas one. They didn't give details but if it really is close enough to not be coincidental, could it be something about the turn in the road or something else that makes the road dangerous?

They are driving "british" cars though - right hand drive - so they are even sitting on the other side to an American car.

It was aboy 3 miles away so far enough not to be on the same stretch of road but close enough to be notable imo.

[Novice]

Well then they need to paint arrows or words on these roads around the AFB for the dummy Americans who can't drive on the left in England.

They've got them, plus signs as you leave the base but before you get out of the gate....

I.

[dolem]

If you're driving a car in England (or in my case Ireland) the cars have the drivers side on the opposite side as American made cars. You drive on the "wrong" side of the road but also on the "wrong" side of the car. When I drove in Ireland I just had to remember that, like in America, the driver is on the side of the car that is closest to the center lane. It's not that difficult and really, if you live there, you should be used to it fairly quickly.

[faithanne]

^Exactly. If your passenger has to get out in the middle of traffic, you're driving on the wrong side of the road.

[Beeyotch]

Well I'm on auto-pilot when I drive, and I can see getting confused no matter what side the steering wheel is on if I have to reverse everything.

I stayed in Barbados for IVF repeatedly for 1 or more weeks at a time, and I still caught myself looking the wrong way when trying to cross the street. I know I did NOT want to drive when I was there. Even as a passenger in cars, I could see it would take a LOT of repetition and practice before it would click for me. Cab drivers knew it too, they could spot tourists right away.

I think it's just deeply ingrained on subconscious levels, and something that is not necessarily an easy switch for everyone.

But if this is happening often enough, then yes they need to tighten requirements making it harder for AFB people to drive. The diplomatic immunity thing is especially enraging.

[Novice]

Well I'm on auto-pilot when I drive, and I can see getting confused no matter what side the steering wheel is on if I have to reverse everything.

I stayed in Barbados for IVF repeatedly for 1 or more weeks at a time, and I still caught myself looking the wrong way when trying to cross the street. I know I did NOT want to drive when I was there. Even as a passenger in cars, I could see it would take a LOT of repetition and practice before it would click for me. Cab drivers knew it too, they could spot tourists right away.

I think it's just deeply ingrained on subconscious levels, and something that is not necessarily an easy switch for everyone.

But if this is happening often enough, then yes they need to tighten requirements making it harder for AFB people to drive. The diplomatic immunity thing is especially enraging.

It's funny isn't it? I learnt to drive in the UK but have driven in the US & continental EU.
In the US I was in a LHD car & it felt as natural as breathing.

[ShimmeringGlow]

Harry Dunn crash: Suspect Anne Sacoolas 'wanted internationally'



Image copyrightJUSTICE4HARRY19Image captionHarry Dunn died in hospital after his motorbike was involved in a crash outside RAF Croughton

The suspect in the crash which killed Harry Dunn is "wanted internationally" after an Interpol notice.

Mr Dunn 19, died after a crash in Northamptonshire in August and US national Anne Sacoolas is suspected of causing his death by dangerous driving.

A Home Office extradition request was rejected by the US in January.

Reacting to the news Mr Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles said: "It's been a terrible time for us. We are utterly bereft and heartbroken and miss our Harry every minute of every single day."

She said the latest development was "important news" and the family were "in pieces".

"I just want to urge Mrs Sacoolas to come back to the UK and do the right thing," she said.

"Face justice and maybe then our two families can come together after the tragedy and build a bridge."

Motorcyclist Mr Dunn died in a crash with a car near US military base RAF Croughton on 27 August.

Mrs Sacoolas, the wife of a US intelligence official, claimed diplomatic immunity and returned home.
Image copyrightAIKEN STANDARD ARCHIVEImage captionAnne Sacoolas, pictured on her wedding day in 2003,

cited diplomatic immunity after the crash outside RAF Croughton

The 42-year-old was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in December, but an extradition request was rejected.

An Interpol Red Notice - a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action - has now been issued.

On its website, Interpol states a red notice "is an international wanted persons notice, but it is not an arrest warrant".

The prime minister's official spokesman said the government had "worked throughout to try to get justice for Harry Dunn and his family and we have been clear throughout that Ann Sacoolas should return to the UK to face justice".

He said the UK Government had made it clear to the United States and to President Donald Trump that it considered the rejection of an extradition request for Mrs Sacoolas to be " a denial of justice".

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-...shire-52619998

[sputnik]

sorry but this is the UK foreign office's fault. they were in agreement with the US when it went down and then changed their minds because of public outrage. they're the ones who fucked up.

[Novice]

Well if Pretti Patel was the Minister at the time they probably just gave her ££££ for it to go away.

[rollo]

But at least it is not going away. This is a good move at last.

[mella]

Does she not feel any guilt or shame ? I mean how do you just continue living your life like normal . How does she justify that for herself?

[Kittylady]

It's funny isn't it? I learnt to drive in the UK but have driven in the US & continental EU.
In the US I was in a LHD car & it felt as natural as breathing.

Bloke has driven all over Europe and the USA. Still not driven into anything or anyone.

[Novice]

sorry but this is the UK foreign office's fault. they were in agreement with the US when it went down and then changed their minds because of public outrage. they're the ones who fucked up.

They didn't have much choice since she left from a US airbase on a US flight.

[sputnik]

^^^
with approval from the foreign office who retroactively confirmed her immunity. They could have put up a fight if they’d wanted to, it’s not like the UK is a powerless third world country that the US can push around. My guess is they thought they could get her out and avoid an international incident (especially one involving the intelligence community, as the US and the UK collaborate a lot in that respect) and sweep it under the rug.

[fgg]

Wife of U.S. Diplomat Who Killed U.K. Teen in Accidental Wrong-Way Crash Gets Diplomatic Immunity

Judges determined Tuesday Anne Sacoolas was protected by diplomatic immunity the day her driving killed Harry Dunn

An American diplomat's wife will not face prosecution in the U.K. for a fatal wrong-way crash with a 19-year-old motorcyclist more than a year ago, the country's high court determined Tuesday.

Anne Sacoolas, 43, had admitted she was accidentally driving on the wrong side of the road when she struck Harry Dunn on Aug. 27, 2019, near an Air Force base utilized by the United States military.

Sacoolas returned to the U.S. a few weeks after the deadly crash, despite telling U.K. authorities she was not planning to leave the country.

She was eventually charged with causing death by dangerous driving, but confirmed she wouldn't return to face court proceedings.

While the U.K. requested Sacoolas be extradited, the U.S. rejected the request.

Dunn's parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, even traveled to Washington, D.C., meeting with President Donald Trump and asking that he intervene so that they could seek justice for their son. The president did not get involved.

He did, however, try to arrange a meeting at the White House between the grieving parents and the woman whose actions killed their son — a move that stunned them.

The meeting did not occur.

“To be thrown into a room together with no prior warning, that’s not good for [Sacoolas'] mental health, and it’s certainly not good for ours,” Dunn’s mother told CBS This Morning.

Dunn's parents took their case to court, arguing in legal filings that the U.K. government erroneously decided Sacoolas was protected by diplomatic immunity. They further alleged British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab kowtowed to the U.S. government and that the U.K. Foreign Office misled investigators about their discussions with Sacoolas.

But on Tuesday, the court ruled against the late teen's parents.

"Our conclusion is that Mrs Sacoolas enjoyed immunity from U.K. criminal jurisdiction at the time of Harry's death," reads the judges' decision. "We do not come to this conclusion with any enthusiasm for the result, but it is compelled by the operation of the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations."

This summer, the U.S. and the U.K. revised their diplomatic immunity rules, making it more difficult for officials' family members to evade criminal prosecution.

Sacoolas was driving on the wrong side of the road when the crash occurred at around 8:30 p.m. in Northamptonshire. Her black Volvo XC90 struck Dunn's Kawasaki motorcycle.

Dunn was rushed to the hospital, where he died moments later.

Speaking to the Guardian afterwards, Charlotte Charles said she was "obviously" disappointed with the court's ruling.

"The Government and Mrs. Sacoolas need to understand that this court ruling is just a blip along the way," she said outside the court. "I promised my boy I would get him justice and that is just what we are going to do. No one is going to stand in our way."

PEOPLE has never been able to get Sacoolas to comment on the crash.

https://people.com/crime/diplomat-wi...atic-immunity/