US president Joe Biden has defended the diplomat responsible for the death of British teenager Harry Dunn, saying that the crash which killed him was “not an intentional act”.
Challenged over the case by reporters during Boris Johnson’s visit to the White House, Mr Biden gave no indication that he was ready to reverse US refusal to extradite Anne Sacoolas.
Asked whether the State Department employee would be sent to the UK to face justice in a criminal court, he said only that the case was being “worked on” and he was not aware of its current status.
Mr Biden’s comments came shortly after the family of 19-year-old Harry reached a resolution with Ms Sacoolas, who was driving on the wrong side of the road when her car knocked him from his motorcycle in Northamptonshire in 2019.
“Based on what I’ve been told it was not an intentional act, it was someone who was new to driving on the wrong side of the road,” said Mr Biden.
“I expressed my sympathies but I don’t know the status of that case right now.”
Mr Johnson said he was “grateful” for Mr Biden’s efforts on the Dunn case.
“On the Harry Dunn case – which is a very, very, very sad case and everybody’s sympathies are with the family – I know that the President has been personally trying to move things along,” said the PM.
“I’m grateful for that.”
A spokesman for the teenager’s family said both parties had reached an agreement in a lawsuit filed by the family.
“It’s a milestone for us that we’ve achieved a resolution in the civil case,” the spokesman, Radd Seiger, said. “We can now look forward and focus on the criminal case, which we are very confident is coming soon.” He declined to disclose any details of the settlement.
