Unusual] First trial canceled… “Father of deceased man breaks down in tears” after drunken hit-and-run at 120 km/h. The family’s persistence.

“Ignoring a red light.

This was an unusual situation.

His first trial, scheduled for April 24, was canceled. The defendant, Sora Sakamoto, 20, is accused of violating the Automobile Driving Punishment Law (negligent homicide). On December 22, just after midnight, he allegedly ran over and killed a 25-year-old man, Mr. A, on a national highway in Sayama City, Saitama Prefecture, and then fled the scene.

Mr. A was crossing a pedestrian crossing when he was hit by Sakamoto’s car, which ignored a red light. The car entered the intersection at a high rate of speed of 120 km/h when the legal speed limit was 60 km/h. Sakamoto fled the scene without taking appropriate first-aid measures. About 2 hours after the accident, the police found the getaway car about 4 km away from the scene. The driver of the car, Sakamoto, was detected to have more than the legal limit of alcohol, so he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Mr. A was pronounced dead at the hospital where he was taken. When Mr. A’s father was informed of his death over the phone, he broke down in tears on the spot.

The family objects to the Saitama District Public Prosecutors Office’s decision in January of this year to indict defendant Sakaemoto on the charge of manslaughter. They say that instead of manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail, the charge of manslaughter by dangerous driving, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail, should be applied.

The family collected 47,000 signatures calling for a reopening of the case and submitted them to the Kawagoe branch of the Saitama District Public Prosecutors Office in March. The first trial was cancelled, presumably so that the prosecutors could reopen the case for prosecution on the charge of manslaughter by dangerous driving. The family’s persistence paid off.

FRIDAY Digital” reported on the hit-and-run drunken-driving accident immediately after Sakamoto was sent to prison. The following is a summary of the report.

I don’t remember.”

Accompanied by investigators, a tall man came out of the police station with the neck of his sweatshirt pulled up to the point where his eyes were just visible, so that the press could not see his face. He was Sakamoto, who was sent to the police station in January of this year.

The police arrested Sakamoto on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. They also examined the car tracks and other evidence left at the scene of Mr. A’s death and determined Sakamoto’s involvement in the hit-and-run accident. Upon investigation, Sakamoto admitted that he had caused the accident and fled the scene, but denied some of the charges, saying that he did not remember the traffic signal.

Let’s return to the aforementioned scene at the sending-off. The investigators escorting him to the scene cautioned Sakamoto to walk in a straight line. After getting into the convoy, Sakamoto continued to wear a sweatshirt over his head to hide his face.

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

The family of the deceased would naturally want the defendant to make adequate amends for his crime,” he said. It is no mean feat to collect 47,000 signatures in a short period of time. The prosecutors, who can be said to represent the victims, should prosecute the case in a manner that is in line with the sentiments of the bereaved families.

Objectively speaking, the driver was driving dangerously at 120 km/h, well over the legal speed limit. In addition, he disregarded the traffic signal and committed a hit-and-run. Since the driver had been drinking alcohol, it is almost a murder charge. The family of the victim’s family naturally thought it was strange that he was charged with manslaughter, a crime for which the penalty is much less severe.

After the cancellation of Sakamoto’s first trial, the bereaved family held a press conference and said, “We would like to take a positive view of the prosecutor’s decision.