LOS ALAMOS, NM - Charles McMillan, the former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, was killed in a car accident Friday morning in Los Alamos, according to ABC News and the Associated Press.
McMillan, who was 69, was an experimental physicist who became one of the top officials in U.S. nuclear weapons research, first at Livermore National Laboratory in California and then at Los Alamos.
The two-vehicle crash occurred not far from the laboratory on New Mexico 502 near the intersection of Camino Entrada, where police were called to the scene at about 5:16 a.m. McMillan died of his injuries after being taken to Los Alamos Medical Center. A 22-year-old woman sustained minor injuries and was treated at the same hospital. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
“On behalf of the entire Laboratory, I would like to express deepest sympathies to the McMillan family and to the many current and former employees who worked closely with Charlie and knew him well,” lab Director Thom Mason said in a statement reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican.
The lab went on to add in its statement, "Charlie served as the Laboratory’s director from 2011 to 2017, leading a growing workforce through a period that showcased the Lab’s multidisciplinary capabilities and included advancing our analytical capabilities with the Trinity supercomputer, helping to ensure the long-term viability of the nuclear weapons stockpile, supporting Mars exploration, aiding global efforts to develop an HIV vaccine and producing lifesaving medical isotopes. Charlie’s dedicated leadership enabled the Lab to meet these challenges and achieve tremendous success. "
McMillan joined Los Alamos in June 2006 as associate director of weapons physics, and rose to become director of the lab and president of Los Alamos National Security, LLC.
Further updates will be provided by our Albuquerque car accident lawyer as more information becomes available regarding the incident.
