German prosecutors have decided to pursue criminal proceedings in german courts against a U.S. airman stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base for a fatal wrong-way collision on the A60 autobahn in May.The incident resulted in the death of a 23-year-old German driver and serious injuries to two 24-year-old passengers.The airman sustained minor injuries.
Under the 1951 NATO Status of Forces Agreement, Germany typically cedes jurisdiction in cases involving U.S. service members and German citizens to the U.S. military. However, this waiver can be revoked within 21 days for serious offenses, including those resulting in death. prosecutors cited the number of victims as the basis for their decision to retain jurisdiction in this case.
A trial in the German court system will allow the family members of the deceased and injured victims to participate as joint plaintiffs with their own legal portrayal, a process that differs from American military court proceedings.
This decision comes after a period where German authorities have ceded jurisdiction to the U.S. military in at least two fatal cases involving American service members over the past six years. Notably, a highly publicized murder trial of a Spangdahlem airman in October concluded with Airman 1st Class Grant Harrison being found not guilty of unpremeditated murder in the 2023 stabbing death of Michael Ovsjannikov. Harrison’s acquittal lead to protests outside the base, with residents expressing mistrust in the U.S. military’s judicial system.