PA

The family of a teenage motorcyclist who died in a crash with an American woman are launching a campaign in the US calling for her extradition.

Anne Sacoolas, the wife of an American intelligence operative, is accused of killing 19-year-old Harry Dunn near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August.

She claimed diplomatic immunity and fled back to the US after the collision, but has now been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

Boris Johnson has called for Ms Sacoolas to be sent back to the UK but she will not return voluntarily and the American government indicated that it could fight extradition proceedings.

Harry’s parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, have received more than £112,000 from members of the public, which they have used to fight legal battles.

A spokesperson for Harry’s family, Radd Seiger, said donations were “more important now than ever” as they start a campaign focusing on the US for Ms Sacoolas to be extradited.

“The very rule of law is at stake and Team Harry are now launching a campaign in the US itself to have Ms Sacoolas extradited to the UK, and to take the message to all our American friends and cousins who we believe do not stand shoulder to shoulder with their government who are harbouring her,” he added.

Harry’s family have met police, foreign secretary Dominic Raab and home secretary Priti Patel over the case.

Downing Street said the prime minister has raised it with Donald Trump, although the US president has publicly defended Ms Sacoolas in the past.

In October, Mr Trump said that driving on the wrong side of the road “can happen” and added: “It was an accident.”

Harry’s parents met Mr Trump at the White House later that month but the visit sparked controversy after it later emerged that Ms Sacoolas was in the room next door ready to meet them – an offer the teenager’s family refused.

Mr Johnson discussed the case with the US president in a phone call following the general election result.

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The prime minister’s spokesperson declined to confirm that he had pressed for extradition on the grounds that “this is a legal process now”.

He said: “The prime minister has discussed the case directly with President Trump on a number of occasions, including the last occasion on which they spoke.

“He said it’s important that the law should now take its course.”

Harry, 19, was killed when his motorbike collided with a car driven by Anne Sacoolas outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August (PA)

Ms Sacoolas’s lawyer has said she will “not return voluntarily to the UK to face a potential jail sentence for what was a terrible but unintentional accident”.

The US State Department maintained that Ms Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity at the time of the incident and said: “It is the position of the United States government that a request to extradite an individual under these circumstances would be an egregious abuse.”

Additional reporting by PA

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