Mitsuyo Mizutani sentenced to 7 years for fatal expressway crash

The Tsu District Court has sentenced 55-year-old former truck driver Mitsuyo Mizutani to seven years in prison for a fatal crash on the Shin-Meishin Expressway in Mie Prefecture. The accident, which occurred in March, resulted in the deaths of six people, including three children.

According to court findings, Mizutani was driving at approximately 82 km/h in a 50 km/h zone while distracted by her smartphone. The court noted she had spent over 10 seconds watching a video on TikTok to take a screenshot, neglecting essential safety checks before plowing into a line of vehicles in a traffic jam.

Judge Hiroaki Deguchi described the incident as one of the most serious cases of negligent driving resulting in death, stating the negligence deserved severe condemnation. While the sentence met the maximum statutory penalty requested by the prosecution, the ruling has drawn criticism from victims' families and public figures regarding the adequacy of the punishment for the loss of life.