UK court hearing for US woman in road death case called off

A court hearing next week for an American citizen who left Britain after being involved in a crash that killed a teenage motorcyclist has been called off, prosecutors said Friday.Britains Crown Prosecution Service announced last month that the case against Anne Sacoolas would be heard at Londons Westminster Magistrates Court on Jan. 18 an apparent breakthrough in the long-deadlocked case.

A court hearing next week for an American citizen who left Britain after being involved in a crash that killed a teenage motorcyclist has been called off, prosecutors said Friday.

Britain's Crown Prosecution Service announced last month that the case against Anne Sacoolas would be heard at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court on Jan. 18 — an apparent breakthrough in the long-deadlocked case. At the time, the law firm representing Sacoolas denied that she had agreed to appear in a British court.

The prosecution service said Friday that the hearing had been “vacated” — removed from the schedule — “to enable ongoing discussions between the CPS and Anne Sacoolas's legal representatives to continue.” Sacoolas has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving in the death of 19-year-old Harry Dunn, who was killed in a collision with a car outside RAF Croughton, an air base in eastern England used by US forces, in August 2019. Sacoolas returned to the US days later and the American government invoked diplomatic immunity on her behalf, prompting an outcry in Britain.

Dunn's family have pressed politicians in Britain and the United States to get Sacoolas to face British justice, but an extradition request was refused by US authorities.

Dunn family spokesman Radd Seiger said “Harry's family were obviously looking forward to the hearing on Tuesday so they hope an agreement will be reached sooner rather than later.” “It is vitally important for their mental health that justice and closure is achieved soon,” he said.