A fatal accident claiming six lives occurred around 2:20 AM on 20/3 in the Nonobori Tunnel on the Shin-Meishin Expressway in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture. Police arrested Mitsuyo Mizutani, 54, a logistics company employee from Akitakata, Hiroshima Prefecture, who was driving the truck, on suspicion of negligent driving causing death.

During a hearing on 10/6, the defendant pleaded guilty.

Local police and fire departments reported that construction work was underway approximately one kilometer from the scene at the time of the accident, leading to traffic congestion inside the tunnel. Mizutani's truck rear-ended a car, triggering a chain collision. Three vehicles erupted in intense flames, and several bodies were recovered from the wreckage after the fire was extinguished around 4 h.

The truck is removed from the tunnel after the accident, which resulted in a fire and fatalities. *Photo: Sankei*

The six fatalities included a family of five from Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, comprising three children, and a man in his 50s from Soka City, Saitama Prefecture, who was in a separate vehicle.

The prosecution detailed the accident's circumstances, stating: "The suspect had fixed her smartphone and was making a hands-free call with a colleague before starting to watch a short cooking video on TikTok. She attempted to take a screenshot of the video but failed, and while using her smartphone, she was distracted for approximately 13 seconds."

According to NHK, the trial is expected to conclude on 10/9, with the defendant's interrogation scheduled for 31/8, followed by the prosecution's final arguments and the defense's closing statement on 10/9.

A 2021 Lexus experiment demonstrating the dangers of drivers using their phones and looking away from the road for just a few seconds. *Video: Lexus*. >> View experiment details

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