Texting an Affair Partner While Driving: Defendant’s Shocking Excuse in Fatal Tokyo Expressway Crash

“At the end of the day, a routine apology moves no one. I want you to spend your entire life recognizing the weight of your crime and continually thinking about what you can do.”

According to reports, the presiding judge admonished the defendant with these words at the end of the ruling.

On November 4, the Tokyo District Court sentenced truck driver Sakyō Furihata (29), charged with offenses including negligent driving causing death and injury, to seven years and six months in prison. In May of last year, the large truck Furihata was driving plowed into a line of congested cars on the Shuto Expressway, causing a major accident involving six vehicles. Three people were killed, and three others were seriously or slightly injured.

“In court, Furihata apologized, saying, ‘I feel a heavy responsibility for taking the lives of so many people.’ The defense argued that the trucking company he worked for also had problems in its management system.

According to the indictment, Furihata had cold symptoms starting three days before the accident, and the night before, he stayed up late exchanging LINE messages with his extramarital partner, leaving him sleep-deprived. Prosecutors claimed that he was also messaging his partner on LINE while driving, engaging in distracted driving. They argued that his awareness of traffic safety norms was extremely poor and that the maximum sentence is necessary,” said a judicial reporter from a national newspaper.

FRIDAY Digital covered the tragic accident shortly after it occurred—an accident that left six people dead or injured. We now look back on the chilling statements Furihata made, such as claiming he wasn’t conscious at the moment of impact, and the details of the crash.

Driving after taking cold medicine with a fever over 38°C

Flames engulfed the scene almost immediately. Multiple explosions echoed through the area. The passenger car struck by the truck was burned completely black.

Just after 7:30 a.m. on May 14, a major traffic accident occurred on the Shuto Expressway. The site was the Bijogi Junction in Toda City, Saitama Prefecture, on the outbound lane of Route 5 heading toward Ikebukuro (Toshima Ward, Tokyo). A large truck rammed into a line of congested vehicles, involving six cars in total. Three people were killed, and three truck drivers in other vehicles were injured.

“The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Traffic Investigation Division arrested Furihata on the spot on suspicion of violating the Automobile Driving Punishment Law (negligent homicide). There were no brake marks at the scene, suggesting he crashed in without slowing down. Cameras installed at the site captured Furihata’s truck approaching from about 10 meters back without reducing speed.

After his arrest, Furihata made chilling statements: ‘From around the Toda-Minami Interchange—about one kilometer from the scene—I was unconscious,’ and ‘I wasn’t conscious at the moment of impact either.’ He reportedly had a fever of over 38°C that day and was driving after taking cold medicine,” said a national newspaper social affairs reporter.

Explanations from the representative of the trucking company Furihata worked for have also revealed abnormal behavior leading up to the accident.

That’s no excuse

“Furihata had apparently worked from 5 a.m. to late morning the day before the accident. But at the noon check-in, he reported, ‘I don’t feel well,’ and ‘I’ve been sick for two or three days,’ so he went home early.

After that, there was no further contact from him, so the company did not change his schedule for the following day. Normally, the depot performs alcohol checks and health checks before drivers depart, but because Furihata started his route at 4 a.m., these were not carried out,” said the reporter.

Former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Taihei Ogawa explains:

“With his poor physical condition on top of distracted driving—messaging his extramarital partner while driving—it’s no surprise this major accident happened. For the bereaved families, even if it’s called an accident, it is effectively the same as having their loved ones killed. They likely feel that a seven-year-and-six-month sentence is too light.

The trucking company he belonged to also bears serious responsibility. Even with an early-morning start, failing to check a driver’s condition is inexcusable. No matter the hour, it is the company’s duty to understand the health state of the drivers.”

If Furihata had had proper awareness of traffic safety norms—and if the trucking company’s management system had been solid—the accident might have been avoided. Instead, three precious lives were lost.