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US Navy officer Lt. Ridge Alkonis was recently taken to a Los Angeles-based prison after being brought from Japan. According to Stripes, he was sentenced to three years in October 2021 for his involvement in a car crash that led to the death of two pedestrians. The prosecutors reportedly requested four-and-half years of sentencing at first.
Ridge is expected to serve the rest of his sentence in Los Angeles but the news is yet to be confirmed by the authorities. His family spokesperson Jonathan Franks revealed in a statement that his wife Brittany and children won't be able to visit him for around 90 days. However, the family members also expressed their satisfaction regarding his transfer in a statement which reads:
"After 507 days, Lt. Ridge Alkonis is on his way home to the United States. We are encouraged by Ridge's transfer back to the United States but cannot celebrate until Ridge has been reunited with his family."
The family also praised everything that was done by the U.S. government for his transfer. The Alkonis family issued the following statement on Thursday, December 14:
"When the Biden administration is presented with the complete set of facts and circumstances surrounding the case, we're confident they will promptly recognize the absurdity of Ridge's conviction."
Ridge's transfer news comes after his family members requested for his release which forced President Joe Biden to discuss the matter with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida back in May this year, as per The New York Post.
Lt. Ridge Alkonis reportedly fell asleep while he was driving with his wife and children
Military magazine revealed that Lt. Ridge Alkonis and his family members were traveling to Mount Fiji in May 2021. The family was supposed to go to a dairy farm and while they traveling via the mountain, Alkon allegedly lost consciousness due to which the vehicle crashed into five cars at the parking lot of a restaurant.
A woman alongside her son-in-law, who were said to be 85 and 54 years old respectively, lost their lives in the accident. Ridge's family members were also injured and were immediately hospitalized.
According to Deseret, the hospital staff refused to give any treatment to Alkonis. While an investigation was launched into the case, investigators discovered that he was allegedly suffering from acute mountain sickness and his wife and children claimed that he blacked out and could not listen to their screams.
Lt. Ridge Alkonis was arrested by the Japanese police and kept in a solitary cell for around 26 days, as per ABC News. He was reportedly questioned multiple times in a day and was barred from getting any medical facilities. A charge of negligent driving was imposed on him and was eventually sentenced to three years.
During his appearance at the court, Ridge confirmed his acute mountain sickness. The judge had his doubts regarding the blackout claim and his family frequently described the crash as an "accident."
Deseret reported that Lt. Ridge Alkonis paid a compensation of around $1.65 million to the Japanese family and some of his family members also made donations from their side to the compensation amount.
Navy neurologists reportedly conducted an examination to find if Ridge was ready to report back to duty. While they found that he was perfect to continue working, he was not allowed to return to the missile destroyer U.S.S. Benfold.
