Police Criticized for Handling of Fatal Crash Involving U.S. Diplomat's Wife

An independent report has accused British police of serious missteps in their investigation of a 2019 traffic collision that resulted in the death of 19-year-old Harry Dunn. The report highlights that officers should have arrested the American driver, Anne Sacoolas, immediately after the incident, as she claimed diplomatic immunity shortly thereafter and left the UK. The Northamptonshire Police were found to have mishandled evidence and issued an apology to the Dunn family.

The tragic event unfolded in August 2019 when Sacoolas, the wife of a U.S. State Department employee, drove on the wrong side of the road in Croughton, England, leading to Dunn's fatal injuries. Following the crash, Sacoolas invoked diplomatic immunity and returned to the United States, prompting international tensions. The British government requested her extradition, which the U.S. denied, citing the potential undermining of diplomatic protections. The independent review underscored a failure of the police to effectively communicate with Dunn's grieving parents and called attention to social media remarks made by a senior officer involved in the case.