Joseph Hazelwood

Captain of the Exxon Valdez

Joseph Jeffrey Hazelwood (September 24, 1946 – c.July 22, 2022) was an American sailor.He was the captain of Exxon Valdez during her 1989 oil spill.

He was accused of being intoxicated which contributed to the disaster, but was cleared of this charge at his 1990 trial after witnesses testified that he was sober around the time of the accident.

Hazelwood was convicted of a lesser charge, negligent discharge of oil (a misdemeanor), fined $50,000, and sentenced to 1,000 hours of community service.