Former US ambassador to Pakistan and Afghanistan Ryan Crocker had a rocky homecoming just weeks after retirement as he faces charges of drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident in his hometown in Washington State, American media reports said. The 63-year-old distinguished diplomat, a native of Spokane in Washington State, announced his retirement last month for unspecified health reasons, The Washington Post said. According a report by the Associated Press, Crocker was arrested on August 14 in Spokane Valley after a hit-and-run incident in which he allegedly hit another car with the 2009 Ford Mustang convertible he was driving. Crocker was most recently the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan.
Previously, he had been the ambassador to Iraq, where he served under President George W. Bush during the military “surge.” His postings to other troubled hot spots around the globe, included assignments in Syria, Kuwait and Lebanon. A report on the Foreign Policy magazine website said Crocker posted $1,000 bail for each charge and pleaded not guilty to both charges the next day. Crocker’s next court hearing is September 12.