U.S. Marine Arrested for Fatal DUI in Japan

Source: washingtontimes.com

A 61-year-old local man is dead and a U.S. Marine facing criminal charges after a fatal car accident Sunday in Okinawa’s capital city of Naha, CNN reported Monday. 

Marine Pfc. Nicholas James-McLean was behind the wheel early Sunday morning when his truck collided with a vehicle driven by a local man, 61-year-old Jun Tamanaha, who died from his injuries, police said, CNN reported. 

Pfc. James-McLean was subsequently determined to have had a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit, CNN said. 

The U.S. military presence on the Japanese island has met with significant local opposition, with flare-ups in protests often occurring after high-profile criminal incidents involving U.S. servicemen. 

“It’s the same thing over and over again every time. I’m speechless,” complained Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga, The Washington Post reported. 

Mr. Onaga is a longstanding critic of the U.S. military’s presence on the island, according to The Post.

In response to the fatal incident and in view of tamping down tensions with local civilians, U.S. Forces Japan has ordered personnel on the island to restrict themselves to base and ordered a ban on alcohol consumption both on and off base.