In May 2021, a US Navy Officer, Lt. Ridge Alkonis, was reported driving to Mt. Fuji where he hit and killed a mother and son-in-law, both Japanese citizens. Alkonis plead guilty and that the crash was a result of losing consciousness at the wheel.
Following the incident, Alkonis would be sentenced to 3 years in Japanese prison.
“As of January 12, 2024, the Commission ordered that he be immediately released from custody based on the time he had already served,” the US Parole Commission said in a statement.
In essence, the US laws went above the Japanese laws to reduce the sentence.
