“I’ll Never Forget It”—What a Survivor Saw in the Fatal Distracted-Driving Crash

“While I was stopped in traffic, I was suddenly hit from behind with a powerful impact, and the 23-ton trailer I was driving was pushed forward. I had kept plenty of distance, so I narrowly avoided crashing into the car ahead. I immediately got out of the driver’s seat, and at that point, things behind me were already unimaginable. The passenger car that had struck the center divider burst into flames moments later. It all happened in an instant.”

This is how Mariko Yamaguchi (52), a large-trailer driver, recalls the event.

On May 14, 2024, around 7:35 a.m., at the Bijogi Junction on the Metropolitan Expressway, a large truck plowed into the last vehicle in a traffic jam without braking. The force triggered a chain reaction involving six cars ahead, and three passenger vehicles burst into flames in a horrific multi-car pileup.

I obtained video footage from immediately after the accident. The video shows cars engulfed in vivid flames. It was filmed by Ms. Yamaguchi, mentioned earlier, who was in the sixth car hit in the pileup and recorded the scene on her smartphone.

“Flames and smoke were rising from multiple cars, and I remember the intense heat just standing there.”

Saving even one person was all I could manage

Ms. Yamaguchi herself was injured, but she saw that the driver in the truck two vehicles behind her was slumped over and trapped inside. She immediately rushed over with another driver from behind and pounded on the door.

“At first, there was no response, and I thought he might have died But we managed to get the door open, and the two of us desperately carried the semi-conscious driver outside.”

A few minutes later, an expressway patrol car coming from the opposite lane arrived. Firefighters and police soon followed and began their response. However, from the three passenger cars that had burst into flames, three bodies were found, and three drivers of large vehicles, including Ms. Yamaguchi, suffered serious or minor injuries.

“At that moment, saving one person was all I could do. There was no way I could approach the cars that were burning.”

On November 4, 2025, a verdict was handed down for Sakyō Furihata (29), the truck driver charged with causing death and injury through negligent driving.
Presiding Judge Takao Ōkawa of the Tokyo District Court harshly condemned him, saying:

“His awareness of traffic rules was low, and the circumstances of the offense are worse than in most past cases.”

He sentenced Furihata to 7 years and 6 months in prison, exceeding the standard sentencing range.

I want to return to society as soon as possible

On the day of the accident, despite having a high fever from a cold, the defendant, Furihata, still operated a large truck. The previous day, he had barely slept and had exchanged hundreds of LINE messages with his mistress, essentially pulling an all-nighter. He was also driving one-handed—holding the steering wheel with his right hand while typing messages on his smartphone with the other. Because of the cold medicine, he was in a dazed state, and it was also revealed that he had dozed off shortly before the crash.

Furthermore, during a police search of his smartphone history, it was discovered that he had downloaded indecent images of minors. He was additionally indicted for possession of child pornography. After reading the verdict, the presiding judge admonished him harshly:

“You do not recognize the gravity of your crimes. Your superficial apologies moved no one. You must face the irreversible and devastating consequences with sincerity.”

Ms. Yamaguchi, who attended the sentencing hearing, spoke with deep frustration:

“In court, Furihata couldn’t even say the names of the people who died. And unbelievably, he said in front of the bereaved families, ‘I want to return to society as soon as possible.’ There was absolutely no sense of remorse.

I understand he didn’t cause the accident on purpose. But what I cannot forgive is that right after the crash, he made no attempt whatsoever to help anyone. Even though it was his fault something terrible had happened, he didn’t get out of the truck— he just stayed in the driver’s seat, acting like he was searching for something. I will never, ever forget that sight.”

↓Click here for a video of the immediate aftermath of the graphic accident.