US Navy captains are charged with negligent homicide over deadly collisions
US Navy officers involved in deadly ship collisions that killed a combined 17 sailors last year will face a variety of criminal charges, including negligent homicide, the service announced Tuesday night.
The individuals include commanders Bryce Benson and Alfredo Sanchez, the former captains of the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain, respectively. The Fitzgerald collided off the southern coast of Japan with a larger vessels on June 17, killing seven sailors, while the McCain struck another ship on August 21 near Singapore, killing 10.
Sanchez faces the same three charges in connection with the McCain accident, Hicks said in a statement. In addition, the Navy is examining one charge of dereliction of duty against a chief petty officer, a senior enlisted leader on the ship.
Separately, the service also is moving forward with administrative discipline for four other members of both the Fitzgerald and McCain, Hicks said.
The service announced in November that it had found through internal investigations that both catastrophes were prevented and occurred due to multiple failures by service members who were standing watch the nights of the accidents.
Richardson disclosed at a Pentagon news conference November 2 that he had assigned Admiral James “Frank” Caldwell to serve as a consolidated disposition authority for legal cases related to the collisions. The term defines a senior officer who oversees cases that can be both criminal and administrative in nature.