From The Guardian on 11 August 2023
Pentagon head of space policy appears in Harrogate court after boys injured in collision
Col Benjamin Oakes pleads not guilty to two counts of causing injury by careless driving outside North Yorkshire college
Robyn Vinter and Harry Davies
The head of space policy for the US joint chiefs of staff at the Pentagon has pleaded not guilty to two counts of causing injury by careless driving in North Yorkshire.
Benjamin Oakes, 46, is accused of causing a collision that left two 15-year-old boys seriously injured outside Ashville College in Harrogate.
He appeared at Harrogate magistrates court on Friday morning, where he confirmed his name and address and entered his not guilty pleas.
Oakes is a colonel in the US military who has worked in a range of high-level and often sensitive roles for the Pentagon and air force. According to his LinkedIn profile, which was taken down shortly before the plea hearing, Oakes has been serving as the chief of space policy for the joint chiefs of staff, a body of the most senior leaders from the US armed forces.
Just outside Harrogate is RAF Menwith Hill, an electronic monitoring base. The large facility is jointly operated by the UK and US and has a significant presence of military and intelligence officers from agencies including the UK’s GCHQ and the US National Security Agency.
In 2017 the UK government disclosed that the US had more than 600 military personnel, contractors and civilians working at the base alongside their British counterparts.
Oakes was granted unconditional bail before his trial at York magistrates court in December.
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There have been at least two other, unrelated, road traffic accidents near the Menwith Hill base in the last 10 days. There is a long standing request with North Yorkshire County Council to introduce speed limits.
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Photograph taken by Betty Longbottom.
Update 12 December 2023: US officer cleared over Harrogate crash that injured teens - BBC News
It is interesting to note that Benjamin Oakes stated in court that he did not see the other vehicle in time to stop. In August 2015 a MHAC demonstrator was hit by a car at the Nessfield Gate. The driver of that vehicle, Steven Higgins, told the court he did not see anyone standing by the gate as he drove out.
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