On April 19, a passenger car lost control on a metropolitan highway in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, killing Mana Matsunaga (31 at the time) and Riko Matsunaga (3 at the time). The second trial of Kozo Iizuka (89), former director of the Institute of Industrial Technology of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, who was charged at his home, was held in the Tokyo District Court on the 3rd.

On this day, three witnesses who witnessed the accident stood on the stand. Defendant Iizuka insisted that he was not guilty at the first trial on October 8, saying: “I remember I never kept pressing the gas pedal. I think something went wrong with the car.” However, the three witnesses stated that they “did not see the brake lights on.” One of them testified: “It was driving so dangerously that I thought it was a steep road. The brake light didn’t come on even once until (Iizuka’s car) collided with the garbage collection car.”

The prosecution accidentally stepped on the accelerator while repeatedly changing lanes while driving, accelerated from 60 km / h to 84 km / h, and as a result of continuing to tread, accelerated to 96 km at the time of the accident. Explained. It also notes that the car’s fault diagnostic sensor does not record any faults in either the throttle or the brake, and that “the data that the throttle is continuously pressed but the brake is not pressed is recorded.”

Takuya Matsunaga (34), a grieving family member who participated in the trial using the victim participation system, responded to the post-trial interview, saying: “I think my idea is still a mistake, but the judiciary gave this testimony I would like to be attentive to how to make the decision. “

During the trial, there was a scene in which Iizuka looked at the grieving family he was facing, but Mr. Matsunaga only saw a map of the actual situation displayed on the monitor installed behind him. I pointed out that there wasn’t. Mr. Matsunaga said: “At first, I felt like he was looking at me, but when the map showing the situation of the site on the screen was displayed on the monitor, I raised my face and when the map disappeared. I immediately averted my eyes. I had the impression that this person was not looking at me, but was probably thinking about how it could be (in court) in their favor. ” Although he was calm, he was outraged.

On top of that, Mr. Matsunaga said, “I’ve been saying that I want you to face the lives of the two (deceased wife and son) and the remorse of our grieving family even before the trial. Even now (from Iizuka) I can’t feel it. I’m sorry. I think everyone is sorry. I want to know the truth. “