Wife of US diplomat who killed teenage motorcyclist after driving on the wrong side of the road insists: ‘I’m a pretty safe driver’

Wife of a US diplomat who killed a teenage motorcyclist told police she is a “pretty safe driver”, an inquest heard.

Anne Sacoolas drove for a third of a mile on the wrong side of the road after leaving RAF Croughton air base in Northamptonshire in August 2019.

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She crashed head-on into motorcyclist Harry Dunn, 19, on a rural road at 40mph, causing fatal injuries.

Sacoolas was removed from Britain 19 days later and claimed diplomatic immunity.

An inquest into the tragic incident is taking place this week at Northampton Coroners’ Court.

Sacoolas refused to appear – in person or virtually from his home in Washington DC.

But in a transcript read from a police interview with Sacoolas two months after the tragedy, the mother of two told officers: “I’m a pretty safe driver.”

She said: “I remember seeing Harry, confused and the accident happening, all at the same time, actually.

“It happened so fast. I saw fire, there was smoke, or at least what I thought was smoke.

“The first thing I did was jump out of the car and tell my son to get out because he is old enough to go out on his own.

“I told him to get out and I ran and took my daughter out of the car seat and put them on the side of the road.

She continued: “I ran back to Harry, he was begging for help. I told him I was afraid I would do more harm than good if I moved it.

“He made a comment that he was driving on his side of the road.”

“Let me go back. It was when I put my children on the side of the road that I realized what happened.

“Up until that point I was a bit confused and only then didn’t realize I had driven on the American side of the road instead of the UK side.

“He said he was on his side of the road and I hysterically said ‘you’re absolutely right, I’m sorry. I’ll get you help’.”

Sacoolas, who was given an eight-month suspended sentence after admitting the careless driving death in 2022, was working in an “analytical role” for the US government.

She told how her family attended a barbecue at RAF Croughton, which is used as a secret listening post by the US government.

In the police interview, Sacoolas admitted that he did not like driving on British country roads and “playing chicken” with other drivers on the narrow lanes.

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Sacoolas said he had only driven on the road where Harry was killed a few times since arriving in the UK on July 24, 2019.

She admitted she had no training on how to drive in the UK and said she had no time to react when Harry rode towards her.

Sacoolas insisted: “I wasn’t texting, I wasn’t on the phone – I wasn’t doing anything, I was just driving, going home.

“I was thinking about all the things I needed to do when I got home, like every mother does.”

The inquiry also heard another statement made by Sacoolas this year, apologizing for its “tragic mistake”.

She said: “I knew the correct side of the road was the left side, not the right, as I was used to driving in America.

“My action was based on instinct and not on remembering at that moment that I should have been driving on the other side.

“I deeply regret having caused this accident. I made a tragic mistake that I will live with for the rest of my life.

“Not a day goes by that Harry isn’t on my mind, and I’m deeply sorry for the pain I’ve caused.”

Sacoolas was invited to appear virtually from her home in the United States by coroner Anne Pember.

Mother Charlotte Charles accused her son’s killer of “choosing to hide” by not showing up.

She exploded: “Learning that Anne Sacoolas will not be attending Harry’s inquest this week has been bitterly disappointing and, as a mother, is completely incomprehensible to me.

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“She could have chosen to give me and our family this opportunity to finally understand what led to Harry’s death that night.

“But, no. I am indescribably hurt that she chose to hide. I can’t help but feel disrespect for Harry, for the life he had and the future he lost.”

Sacoolas, who received an eight-month suspended sentence after admitting death by careless driving in 2022, crashed head-on into Harry in his Volvo on August 27, 2019.

PC Al Knapper heard her scream “I’m so stupid”, sobbing with her head in her hands, the inquest heard.

Harry, who was wearing a helmet, suffered devastating fractures to all four limbs, his pelvis and ribs after being thrown from his bike.

A passing doctor desperately tried to help save his life, but upon arriving at Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital, the teenager was pronounced dead after suffering catastrophic blood loss.

The inquest heard that when asked what she believed caused the collision, Sacoolas told police: “I drove like an American and I drove on the American side of the road.”

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Northampton Coroner’s Court heard that Sacoolas “did not wish” to participate remotely in the inquiry.

But her lawyer Ben Cooper said: “Ms Sacoolas remains willing to answer any questions that may arise during her statements and will do everything she can to assist in this process.”

Sacoolas was advised not to attend her 2022 sentencing hearing by her employer, prompting the family to say they were “horrified” that the US government was “actively interfering in our criminal justice system.”

The Dunn family took their four-year campaign for justice to the US following the teenager’s death, which even led to a meeting with then-President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington DC.

The inquiry will assess what road safety training was provided to Sacoolas by the RAF or the US.

It will also look at the emergency services response and whether delays contributed to his death.