Additional Coverage:
- Former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory dead after car crash in New Mexico (newsbreak.com)
**Former Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory Dies in Car Crash**
**LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP)** — Charles McMillan, a former high-ranking official in U.S. nuclear weapons research and distinguished experimental physicist, has passed away at the age of 69 following a car accident in New Mexico. McMillan, who held significant positions at both Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital shortly after the early morning crash.
McMillan dedicated nearly 23 years to Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California before moving to Los Alamos, where he served for about 18 years, including six years as director until his retirement in 2017. The fatal accident occurred on a section of road called Main Hill, not far from Los Alamos Laboratory.
In a heartfelt message, current lab Director Thom Mason expressed condolences: “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,” he said, as reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican.
University of California system President Michael Drake lauded McMillan as “an extraordinary leader, scientist, and human being who made far-reaching contributions to science and technology in service to national security and the greater good.”
The Lawrence Livermore laboratory, established in 1952 as part of the University of California, is now under federal operation and maintains close ties with the university system.
McMillan joined Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2006 under the directorship of his friend and mentor, Michael Anastasio. As principal associate director for weapons programs, McMillan later became director in 2011. During his tenure, he managed the lab through expansions and various challenges, including a significant radiation leak in 2014 due to improperly packaged waste, which resulted in the lab being fined over $10 million.
Mason highlighted McMillan’s diverse work, citing his contributions towards HIV vaccine development and advanced climate change modeling.
Democratic U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich commended McMillan’s “invaluable contributions to our state, to science, and to our national security,” particularly in the fields of supercomputing and artificial intelligence. Conversely, Nella Domenici, Heinrich’s Republican opponent, described McMillan’s passing as “a great loss to the scientific community and his family.”
The car accident occurred around 5 a.m., involving two vehicles. Police and fire officials reported that three individuals were injured, with McMillan and a 22-year-old woman being hospitalized. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.