US serviceman arrested for drunk driving in Okinawa

TOKYO - The Japanese police in Okinawa arrested a US serviceman on Friday for drunk driving and suspected that he crashed into other cars leading to slight injury, Japan's Kyodo reported Saturday.

The driver, 35-year-old Nathan Sales, serves in Camp Kinser of the US Marine Corps' logistics unit in the city of Urasoe in Okinawa.

Local police said they arrested Sales after his car crashed into other three cars and slightly injured two men around local time 7 pm on a street in a village, adding they detected Sales was drunk from his breath.

The incident occurred outside a curfew time from 11 pm to 5 am, which was imposed after two US servicemen allegedly raped a Japanese woman in Okinawa in October.

The US Navy also banned their personnel in Japan from drinking liquor at nighttime due to continued offense.

On Friday, Commander of US Forces Japan Salvatore Angelella issued an order of Buddy Program, which took effect Friday, requiring his servicemen should be accompanied by others if they have to leave their bases at non-curfew time.

There was no report on whether Sales was accompanied. If not, he would be the first man violated Angelella's new order and arrested by local police.