March 8, 2025

Yokohama Prosecutors on March 6 indicted a U.S. soldier assigned to the U.S. Yokosuka Naval Base at the Yokohama District Court on charges of manslaughter while driving negligently.

The defendant, Jaden Edwin Llanos, 22, a crewmember of the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet flagship Blue Ridge, made an illegal right turn at an intersection in Yokosuka City (Kanagawa Pref.) last September and collided with a motorcycle, killing the 22-year-old rider.

The victim’s mother, through her lawyer, said, “I hope the defendant’s trial will lead to an end to reckless accidents and incidents caused by U.S. military personnel.”

Past related article:
> US soldier causes fatal car accident in Kanagawa [September 21, 2024]