The guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins steams near Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, in August 2023. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — A U.S. Navy civilian employee died Monday evening following a traffic accident near the home of the U.S. 7th Fleet, an installation spokesman said Tuesday.
Spokesman Justin Keller declined in an email to name the deceased or provide any other identifying information. He said the name would be released 24 hours after next of kin are notified.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their family, friends and team mates during this time,” he wrote. “The Japanese Police have assumed jurisdiction of the investigation and the U.S. Navy is working in full cooperation.”
Local police said the victim, a motorcyclist, was pronounced dead at an area hospital at 10:45 p.m. Monday, 11 hours after the incident on Route 16 in Taura, about two miles northwest of the naval base.
A car driven by a 50-year-old man from Tokyo changed lanes from left to right to make a U-turn, a Taura police spokesman said by phone Tuesday. The movement surprised the victim, who applied his brakes and fell over.
Some Japanese officials may speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.
