The family of a U.S. Navy officer sentenced to three years in prison in Japan for a deadly car crash is shattered. Lt. Ridge Alkonistar was convicted of killing two pedestrians in May 2021 after blacking out at the wheel of the family car.
In an exclusive interview with CBS News, His wife said she had not understood the verdict when it was read out in court. But her husband understands Japanese. “When I saw his face, I knew that we had lost,” she said. “I was heartbroken, and the first thought that came to my mind is I have to drive home and tell my kids that they’re not going to see their father for three years,” She lamented. Alkonistar, who is full of remorse, has apologized. He has also followed Japanese custom by offering restitution to the victims’ families, worth$1.65 million. His wife describes how generously friends and relatives have responded to a GoFundMe campaign to help pay the family’s expenses.
But this tragic story is playing out against a long history of resentment in Japan against U.S. military personnel. The popular perception is that they’re shielded by the military from facing justice for crimes they commit in Japan. The family is now hoping for an 11th-hour political intervention to keep Alkonistar out of jail.
