Police fail to arrest US diplomat's wife after fatal crash due to diplomatic immunity

In August 2019, Harry Dunn, a 19-year-old British motorcyclist, was killed in a collision with a car driven by Anne Sacoolas, an American citizen and wife of a US diplomat, who was driving on the wrong side of the road near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, England. Following the incident, Sacoolas fled the UK under diplomatic immunity just 19 days after the crash, sparking an international diplomatic row. The Dunn family was initially misled and faced significant delays in receiving information regarding Sacoolas’s departure. It took 10 days after Dunn's funeral for the family to learn about Sacoolas's exit from the country. An independent review into the handling of the case by Northamptonshire Police criticized their investigation, revealing significant failings, including the failure to arrest Sacoolas at the scene, prioritizing her welfare over a fair and prompt investigative process. The report noted that the decision not to arrest was primarily based on Sacoolas appearing to be in shock, disregarding the need to gather evidence effectively. The review highlighted a concerning culture within Northamptonshire Police that might lead to non-arrests in similar circumstances and pointed to systemic issues in leadership, specifically under the leadership of the then Chief Constable Nick Adderley. The report documented serious inadequacies in the way evidence was handled, including the mishandling of Dunn's clothing, which retained biological matter long after the incident, resulting in further distress for the grieving family. Sacoolas would later plead guilty to causing death by careless driving in December 2022 and received an eight-month suspended prison sentence. The Dunn family expressed deep disappointment and anger towards the police's handling of the investigation, calling for accountability and reform within the force to ensure that other families do not suffer similar experiences in the future. Following the publication of the independent review, Northamptonshire Police faced immense scrutiny and issued an apology to the Dunn family. They committed to implementing 38 recommendations aimed at improving future conduct, transparency, and accountability in their operations, particularly regarding incidents involving foreign nationals involved in serious road collisions.