A U.S. Navy officer, imprisoned in Japan following a fatal car accident that claimed the lives of two Japanese nationals, has been transferred to American custody and is on his way back to the United States, as confirmed by his family on Thursday.
Lt. Ridge Alkonis was serving a three-year sentence after admitting to negligent driving, which led to the deaths of an elderly woman and her son-in-law in May 2021.
The family, residing in Dana Point, California, stated to The Associated Press, “Lt. Ridge Alkonis has been released after 507 days and is en route to the United States. While we are hopeful about Ridge’s return to the U.S., our celebration is on hold until he reunites with his family. We are grateful for the U.S. Government’s role in facilitating this transfer and look forward to an unbiased judicial review of his case, a first of its kind.”
The specifics of Alkonis’ destination in the U.S. and whether he will face further imprisonment upon arrival, as part of the transfer conditions, remain unclear.
The family expressed gratitude towards the U.S. Government for the transfer and added, “We believe that once the Biden Administration reviews the full details and context of the case, they will quickly realize the injustice of Ridge’s conviction.”
According to the family, Alkonis unexpectedly lost consciousness while driving due to acute mountain sickness after a trip to Mount Fuji with his wife and children. This contrasts with the Japanese prosecutors’ and sentencing judge’s assertion that he dozed off while driving.
In early 2021, Alkonis, a Southern California native, was preparing for a deployment as a department head on the USS Benfold, a missile destroyer. On May 29, 2021, Alkonis and his family visited Mount Fuji for hiking and sightseeing. They had descended the mountain and were driving to lunch and ice cream when Alkonis, reportedly conversing with his daughter, suddenly lost consciousness. His family claims he was unresponsive even to his daughter’s screams and the collision’s impact.
Following the accident near Fujinomiya, Alkonis was arrested and subjected to 26 days of solitary confinement in a police detention center. He faced multiple interrogations each day without medical assessment or treatment, as per a statement from a family spokesperson. When U.S. authorities arrived to take custody of Alkonis, he was already detained by the Japanese.
He faced charges of negligent driving resulting in death and was sentenced to three years in prison.
The Alkonis family has actively sought public attention for the case, including demonstrations outside the White House. President Joe Biden also discussed the case with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a meeting in May.
Alkonis, specializing in undersea warfare and acoustic engineering, had been stationed in Japan for nearly seven years as a civilian volunteer and naval officer at the time of the crash.
