Anne Sacoolas

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

northamptonshire-police

Missing From:

Croughton, Northamptonshire

Summary:

Anne Sacoolas was named by Sky News as the driver involved in a crash in the UK which killed the 19 year old motorcyclist Harry Dunn on 27 August 2019. The US State Department claimed that she had diplomatic immunity, but the UK FCO did not accept this. She fled to US on a USAF plane and the US government denied an extradition request. She was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after admitting to causing the death of Harry Dunn by careless driving in August 2019.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

Harry Dunn, a 19-year-old resident of Charlton near Banbury, was riding his motorcycle on the B4031 road about 400 yards from the exit of RAF Croughton on the evening of 27 August 2019, when he was struck by a car. He was riding his motorcycle near Croughton, Northamptonshire, near the exit to RAF Croughton, when a car travelling in the opposite direction and on the wrong side of the road collided with him. The collision occurred at 20:25 BST on the B4031 road near RAF Croughton. Dunn was pronounced dead at the Major Trauma Centre of John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. At 22:50 hours, despite further medical intervention by the trauma team, Harry tragically died.

Additional Details:

Anne Sacoolas was working for the United States Intelligence Community at the time of the collision; she is married to CIA employee Jonathan Sacoolas, stationed at the time at USAF listening station RAF Croughton. Sacoolas was allowed to leave the country on September 15, but Mr Dunn's family was not told this - nor her identity or the fact she had immunity - until 11 days later. Northamptonshire Police interviewed 42-year-old US Anne Sacoolas in connection with the crash on 28 August, and a request to waive diplomatic immunity claimed by Mrs Sacoolas was formally rejected by the US on 13 September. In December 2019, the Crown Prosecution Service authorised Northamptonshire Police to charge her with causing death by dangerous driving. Interpol issued a red notice for her in May 2020. Sacoolas appeared by video from Washington, D.C., to plead guilty on Thursday. A U.K. court handed down an eight-month suspended prison sentence to Anne Sacoolas. She ultimately pleaded guilty in October, but the Biden administration recommended that she not return to the U.K. for her sentencing hearing. Instead, she participated virtually. Dunn's parents eventually filed a civil suit in the United States, which was settled in September 2021. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Case Last Updated:

Jul 26, 2026