U.S. Marine accused of drunk driving following fatal crash in Okinawa

OKINAWA (TR) – Okinawa Prefectural Police have arrested a U.S. Marine after a military truck driven by him struck a light truck in Naha City on Sunday, killing its driver, reports NHK (Nov. 19).

At around 5:30 a.m., the two-ton military truck driven by Nicholas James-McLean, a 21-year-old private first-class at Camp Kinser, a U.S. Marine Corps logistics base, struck the light truck at an intersection on National Route 58 in the Tomari area.

The driver of the light truck, Hidemasa Taira, a 61-year-old resident of Naha, was later confirmed dead at a hospital. The serviceman suffered light injuries to his lower back in the accident, police said.

An analysis of the breath of the serviceman revealed an alcohol content that was three times the legal limit, according to police.

After undergoing voluntary questioning, McLean was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and negligent driving resulting in death and injury.

Based on an eyewitness account, police believe the light truck was making a right-turn at the intersection with its turn signal applied when it was hit by the military truck, which ignored a red signal.