Former Nasa astronaut charged with murder following fatal car crash
James Donald Halsell Jr took part in five Space Shuttle missions and has been released on bail
A retired Nasa astronaut has been charged with murder over his involvement in a car crash in which two girls were killed, amid allegations of drink-driving.
James Donald Halsell Jr, 59, a veteran of five Space Shuttle missions, was arrested after crashing his Chrysler into another car, in which Niomi Deona James, 11, and Jayla Latrick Parler, 13, were passengers.
Both girls were ejected from the Ford Fiesta they were in and died before emergency services arrived at the scene, on a rural highway east of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
State troopers confirmed neither of the girls were wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision and initial investigations showed alcohol and excessive speed may have been key factors in the crash.
The incident took place at 2.50am on Monday morning and Halsell was charged at Tuscaloosa County Jail at 11am.
Their father, Pernell Deon James, 37, and his partner Shontel Latriva Cutts, 25, both suffered injuries in the crash and were later treated at hospital.
Halsell Jr was released later in the day after posting a $150,000 bail, AL.com reported.
He became an astronaut with Nasa in 1991 and subsequently logged over 1,200 hours in space, having previously served as an Air Force colonel.
Halsell worked for ATK Launch Systems following his retirement from NASA in 2006.
He has received multiple honours and awards over the years for his pioneering research into aeronautical engineering, and once served as a manager at the Kennedy Space Centre.
Police are continuing to investigate the reasons behind the accident.