One year later: U.K. family still seeks justice in fatal crash involving South Aiken grad

Aug. 27--A family in the United Kingdom remains heartbroken but continues to seek justice after a fatal car accident killed their teenage son one year ago today.

British police reported that 19-year-old motorcyclist Harry Dunn died on Aug. 27, 2019, after being struck by a vehicle driving on the wrong side of the road near RAF Croughton, a British military base near Oxford used by U.S. forces.

The driver was later identified as Anne Sacoolas, a South Aiken High School graduate and the wife of a U.S. diplomat.

Dunn's mother, Charlotte Charles, said the family has been struggling to cope since that tragic day.

"We are just absolutely heartbroken," Charles said. "We can't believe a year has passed since we lost our beautiful Harry. He was full of the joys of life and has left a massive hole in our lives. Life seems to be going in slow motion."

Charles described her son as a larger-than-life young man who was the heart of the family and was always happy and positive.

He learned to ride motorbikes at the age of 7, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and stepdad with his passion for motorbikes.

"He had ridden over 50,000 miles, more than many bikers do in a lifetime," Charles said. "He loved every minute of it."

Unfortunately, Dunn's ride was tragically cut short.

Authorities reported that Sacoolas, 42 at the time of the accident, engaged fully with the department following the accident and confirmed she had no plans to leave the country in the near future.

However, she returned to the United States and claimed diplomatic immunity, an action that has caused tensions between the U.K. and the U.S.

The Associated Press reported that Sacoolas' husband was an intelligence officer at RAF Croughton.

Dunn's family has since campaigned for Sacoolas to return to the U.K. and face British justice.

The Justice4Harry campaign has made Dunn's story known in both the U.K. and the U.S.

Kawasaki green ribbons have become a symbol for the movement.

The ribbons, which are Dunn's favorite color, have been hung in various public spaces and businesses in solidarity of the family's fight for justice.

"It means the world to us to know that we are not fighting this battle on our own, and that the wonderful people in America, the U.K., and our millions of supporters around the world are standing shoulder to shoulder with us to bring this shameful episode in American foreign policy to an end," Charles said. "We live in a global community. America will not fare well without its friends in the U.K. and this unthinkable and unspeakable action is currently doing enormous damage to relations."

As of Aug. 20, Dunn's family had not had any recent contact with the White House. However, the family's spokesperson, Radd Seiger, continues to maintain good relations with U.S. lawmakers.

The family traveled to Washington last fall to ask that Sacoolas' diplomatic immunity be lifted.

Instead, President Donald Trump and National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien surprised the family by inviting Sacoolas to the White House and suggesting Dunn's parents meet with her in front of the White House press corps roughly five weeks after their son's death, the Associated Press reported in October 2019.

Dunn's family reportedly felt "ambushed" by the idea of meeting Sacoolas at the time but continued to urge her to return to the U.K. to face justice.

"We do not hate you, we just hate what you did," Charles said as a direct statement to Sacoolas. "You know as well as I do that the only way forward is to face our justice system. You have the ability to come back on your own now and I urge you to do that, for your family's sake as well as mine.

"You have left us shattered in a million pieces. You have your family intact. Mine is broken. I do not think it is too much to ask you to do the right thing."

The U.S. has been unwavering in its stance on not extraditing Sacoolas to the U.K.

On Aug. 19, the U.S. State Department told the Aiken Standard it continues to work closely with the U.K. to find a "mutually acceptable path forward."

"We again offer our sincere condolences and sympathy to the Dunn family for the loss of their son. This was a tragic accident," a U.S. State Department spokesperson told the Aiken Standard. "The United States government has declined the United Kingdom's request for extradition of a U.S. citizen involved in a tragic vehicle accident that occurred in the United Kingdom. The Secretary's decision in that regard was final."

Although displeased with the United States' stance on extraditing Sacoolas, Dunn's family has recently expressed hope in the option of Sacoolas' case being tried virtually.

Dunn's family has said they would not object to the option.

"This is not about vengeance or retribution, but right versus wrong," Charles said. "You do not get to kill someone and just walk away."

Matthew Enfinger is the crime and courts reporter with the Aiken Standard. Subscribe here to support his content.

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