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Wife of U.S. Navy captain involved in car crash that killed two and sentenced to three years in Japanese prison says she’s doing everything she can to reunite her children with their father .
Brittany Alconis, wife of Navy Lieutenant Ridge Alconis, told Fox News Digital: “They are young and in the formative years of their lives. They need a father.”
The family’s ordeal began after Lieutenant Alconis hiked Mt. Fuji in Japan just before he was deployed. After staying in Japan for about a year and nine months, the family hiked as part of a three-year tour of Japan. Before he spends most of his next year, he wanted to create memories for himself and his children. .
But the memory turns tragic when Lieutenant Arkonis is at the wheel of his family’s return trip when he suffers a medical episode, two cars collide, and two pedestrians are injured and killed. I got
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“We drove off sea level that day and by the end of the hike we were over 8,000 feet,” recalled Brittany Alkonis. It was only 5 minutes to our destination.Ridge passed out in the middle of a conversation with his eldest daughter.We just had to go.It was about 25 miles an hour but did not regain consciousness. .”
Alkonis also said he began to tilt his seat back and rest just before the accident because he was feeling nauseous from the change in altitude. She didn’t open her eyes again until she was shocked, while her daughter tried unsuccessfully to wake her father.
“It all happened very quickly,” recalls Alkonis.
Lieutenant Arkonis was arrested at the scene, but his wife believed it to be routine while authorities investigated the accident. , was never released from custody.
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“This wasn’t a DUI. He didn’t fall asleep, but it just went downhill from there,” Alconis said.
Lieutenant Arkonis was later diagnosed with acute mountain sickness, caused by sudden altitude ascent and can cause sudden fainting for up to 24 hours, a diagnosis of little help in Japan’s unique judicial system. did.
The family’s attorney explained that it is customary in Japan to show remorse in court rather than try to assert your innocence, and the family issued a formal apology for the accident and settled a $1.65 million settlement. They were told that more than 95% of those who follow a similar path would receive a suspended sentence, but Lieutenant Alconis was given a three-year term. An appeal, on which Lieutenant Arkonis presented his medical diagnosis, was also rejected, leaving the family with few options for justice.
“Had I known he was going to jail anyway, I would have said no to them,” Arkonis said.
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To make matters worse, Alkonis believes that one of the reasons her husband is not being treated fairly is that influential members of the court are family members of those who died in accidents.
“One of the dead is a family member of a Tokyo High Court prosecutor who is very influential,” Alconis said.
Her husband’s case has received rare bipartisan attention on the Capitol, with Senator Mike Lee (Utah Republican) and Representative Mike Levin (California Democrat) both calling for Lt. I’m asking for
In a speech on the Senate floor last week, Lee said, “It is no excuse that an American experiencing a medical emergency should be treated so poorly by the Allies he protects. uh,” he said.
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“Clearly, the Japanese judicial system is trying to set an example for Lieutenant Alconis. This is probably due to our history of controversy over the SOFA,” Lee added. “He’s being targeted because he’s American and because he was in the unfortunate position of having a tragic medical emergency.”
The Status of Forces Agreement between the United States and Japan, which governs issues between the U.S. military and host country governments, has long been controversial among Japanese. Japanese courts retain jurisdiction over crimes committed by U.S. forces in the country, but exceptions to the rule have been dismissed among Japanese officials who believe the U.S. military has special privileges. It can provoke feelings.
Levin vowed to clarify that the Pentagon should do more in the matter and to continue working to secure the release of Lieutenant Arkonis.
“I will not give up on Lieutenant Alconis and neither will the Pentagon,” he said.
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Lee acknowledged that the lawsuit is also affecting an alliance that has been stable for decades, and urged President Biden to prioritize the case.
“We’ve been allies for a long time,” Lee said.
Mrs. Alconis also wants the White House to be involved, and with support from lawmakers, she “hopes the momentum is starting to move in our direction.”
“I always do something to get him out of prison,” Alkonis said. “I will be going to D.C. in a few weeks with the goal of speaking to the National Security Advisor or President Biden. I will stay there as long as it takes.”
During that time, Arkonis said the ordeal had hit her family hard. It is something that the youngest of the children “doesn’t understand”.
Communication is also difficult, limited to regular emails and short 20-minute visits twice a month. The harsh reality forced Arkonis to focus on securing her husband’s release.
“I hope something comes out of my trip to DC,” Arkonis said. “It is important that children know that we are fighting for justice. We are not looking for special treatment, we just want to be treated like Japanese people.”
Fox News’ Ashley Papa contributed to this report.