TSU — A professional truck driver who caused a catastrophic, multi-vehicle crash on the Shin-Meishin Expressway while distracted by her smartphone was sentenced to seven years in prison on Oct. 20. The term represents the statutory maximum for negligent driving resulting in death under Japanese law.
Presiding Judge Hiroaki Deguchi of the Tsu District Court handed down the sentence to 55-year-old Mitsuyo Mizutani, of Akitakata, Hiroshima Prefecture, labeling the incident as one of the most severe cases of driver negligence in recent memory.
The tragedy occurred on the afternoon of March 20. According to court records, Mizutani was traveling at 82 kph in her heavy-duty truck when she became distracted by a social media video on her smartphone, attempting to capture a screenshot. At 2:18 p.m., her vehicle plowed into a line of cars stopped in traffic congestion, causing a chain-reaction collision that damaged multiple vehicles and surrounding infrastructure.
The impact claimed the lives of six people. All five occupants of the first passenger car—45-year-old Koji Matsumoto, his wife Eriko, 42, their 11-year-old daughter Rio, 8-year-old son Soma, and 5-year-old daughter Ayana—were killed instantly. A second driver, 56-year-old Keizo Takamine, who was positioned ahead of the Matsumoto family vehicle, also died in the crash.
In his ruling, Judge Deguchi condemned Mizutani’s actions, stating, “The incident was truly horrific and the consequences were grave.” Addressing the defendant, the judge noted that as a professional driver, her decision to disregard the road in favor of a smartphone was “truly reckless and worth severe criticism.” He emphasized that the victims, who were traveling for family reasons or returning from work, were entirely blameless.
While the court acknowledged that Mizutani had expressed remorse and that compensation plans were being arranged, the judge maintained that the sheer scale of the loss demanded the harshest punishment allowed by statute.
As the judge read the names of the six victims, the courtroom was filled with the sounds of sobbing, with several family members closing their eyes to hold back tears. Mizutani remained standing, staring straight ahead as the verdict was finalized.
Despite the judge imposing the maximum possible sentence, the families of the deceased left the courthouse expressing deep frustration with the constraints of the law.
“I knew seven years was the maximum, but it still doesn’t sit right with me,” said the 47-year-old brother of Eriko Matsumoto during a post-trial press conference. “I just can’t feel that justice has been done.”
The son of Keizo Takamine echoed this sentiment, questioning the equity of the legal outcome: “My feeling is, ‘Only this after six people died?’”
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