BUCHAREST, Romania – Romania has asked American authorities to hand over a U.S. Marine who left the country after he allegedly was involved in a traffic accident that killed a Romanian rock star, the Foreign Ministry said.
The Marine allegedly was driving a car that hit a taxi Friday night in Bucharest after failing to yield at an intersection, police said, adding that a breath test showed he had been drinking.
Teofil Peter (search), a bass player with the popular Romanian rock group Compact (search), was riding in the taxi's passenger seat and killed. The driver had minor injuries.
Romanian authorities did not identify the Marine, but media reports said he was a guard at the U.S. Embassy.
The Foreign Ministry said Sunday it had learned "with consternation" of the Marine's departure from the country.
Romania has asked U.S. authorities to return him and waive his diplomatic immunity so he could face prosecution, the Ministry said.
U.S. Ambassador Jack Dyer Crouch said Sunday that the embassy regretted the incident, state news agency Rompres reported.
Crouch said the U.S. Marine Corps will conduct its own investigation and cooperate with Romanian authorities. A decision on whether to hand the Marine over to Romania will be made when each side has completed its inquiry, Crouch said.
On Monday, the embassy said a team from the U.S. Marine Corps (search) will arrive in Bucharest on Tuesday to join Romanian authorities in the investigation.
Peter's death caused an outpouring of emotion in Romania. In his native region of Transylvania, radio stations played his group's music all night Saturday in tribute.
Crouch spoke to Peter's son earlier Monday and expressed condolences on behalf of the U.S. government.
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