Survivor’s Grief After Deadly Crash Raises Questions About Suspect’s History of Reckless Driving

He suddenly accelerated and sped past

In the early morning of March 7 at around 5:30 a.m., while the chill of winter still lingered, a collision occurred between a passenger car and a light vehicle at an intersection on National Route 8 in Yatsumachi, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture. The crash claimed the lives of Erika Ueda (38) and her son Soga Ueda (14). Arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving causing death was Ryo Sugibayashi (26), the driver of a red Civic who reportedly sped into the intersection at more than twice the legal speed limit.

“On the day of the accident, there was heavy rain, making the road very slippery. Despite that, Sugibayashi was driving at over 140 km/h. The speed limit at the intersection is 60 km/h, so it was clearly reckless driving. During questioning, he reportedly said things like, ‘I thought I’d go through even if the light was red,’ and ‘I wanted to overtake the other cars.’ He had already been speeding along Route 8 before the crash,” said a reporter from a national newspaper.

A local resident, Mr. A, described the horrific scene immediately after the accident:

“Just before the crash, my father’s car was overtaken at high speed by Sugibayashi’s Civic. When my father reached the intersection, the accident had just happened. The mother was trapped inside the wrecked car, and no matter how many times he knocked on the window, there was no response. The child had been thrown outside the vehicle My father said, ‘The injuries were so severe, there was nothing I could do.’”

On that day, another speeding car was reportedly seen on Route 8.

“It was another Civic, this one white. My father saw the two cars—one red and one white—racing side by side at high speed. They must have thought they were in a race. At some point they separated, as the white Civic wasn’t seen near the crash site. But since the accident happened after they were racing like that, I think the police should also investigate the white Civic,” said Mr. A.

Sugibayashi was reportedly well known among local street racing circles. A man, Mr. B, who used to be part of that scene, shared his experience:

“When I was driving on Route 8, Sugibayashi’s red Civic once pulled up beside me. I was in a hurry and driving fast, so maybe he saw me as competition. His Civic suddenly accelerated, blew past me, and sped off. The license plate and car stood out, so when I saw the news, I immediately recognized it.”

Though he appeared composed at the funeral

According to a coworker of Ryo Sugibayashi, “He wasn’t very talkative. He usually worked quietly, but sometimes he would suddenly fly into a rage over small things. My impression was that he was hard to approach.”

On the day of the accident, “Erika and Sōga were on their way to Nagano for a handball team trip,” said an acquaintance, his eyes red with emotion.

“Sōga belonged to a strong handball club team in Toyama Prefecture. Erika was driving him to a match in Nagano when the accident happened. She usually drove a larger car, but that day it was a loaner light vehicle that got hit.

Erika was a single mother raising two sons on her own. She considered her divorce a failure and often said she wanted her sons to grow up to be honest and decent people. She would scold Sōga if he skipped handball practice, but she was usually a very kind and loving mother. She had many close mom friends who admired her. Sōga was very cheerful and a real mood-maker on the team.”

At the funeral for Erika Ueda and Soga Ueda, Sōga’s older brother was in attendance.

“The older brother is a first-year high school student. He tried to stay composed while others broke down in tears, but he reportedly confided to close friends, ‘I don’t want to live anymore.’ When you think about how he suddenly lost two beloved family members, it’s heartbreaking.”

Due to an immature, reckless, and uncontrolled act of speeding, the peaceful lives and hopeful future of an innocent family were taken away in an instant. While Sugibayashi is expected to face severe punishment, the gravity of his crime is something he can never fully atone for in his lifetime.

The Toyama Prefectural Police must not allow the driver of the white Civic to escape accountability.