Britain, U.S. alter immunity agreement

LONDON — The United States and Britain have agreed to “new arrangements” surrounding immunity agreements that allowed the wife of a U.S. diplomat to leave the country after being involved in a fatal traffic accident.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said that the changes would mean that something similar cannot happen again.

In August, Harry Dunn, 19, was killed when, according to police, his motorcycle was struck by a car driven by Anne Sacoolas.

Sacoolas, an American diplomat’s wife, admitted to driving on the wrong side of the road last August when she collided with Dunn. She claimed immunity and fled to the United States. At the time of the incident, Sacoolas was living with her husband near a British air base operated by the U.S. Air Force.

The announcement was made a day after the issue was raised with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his trip to London.

In a written statement, Raab said: “First and foremost, the U.S. waiver of immunity from criminal jurisdiction is now expressly extended to the family members of U.S. staff at the Croughton Annex, thus ending the anomaly in the previous arrangements and permitting the criminal prosecution of the family members of those staff, should these tragic circumstances ever arise again.

“We have the deepest sympathy for Harry Dunn’s family. No family should have to experience what they have gone through and I recognize that these changes will not bring Harry back.”

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