A seven-year prison sentence has been finalized for the woman convicted over a highway crash in Mie Prefecture that killed six people, after she did not appeal by the November 4 deadline, the Tsu District Court said.
Mizutani Mizuyo was driving at about 82 kph on the Shin-Meishin Expressway on March 20 when her vehicle struck a line of stopped traffic, according to the court. Six people died: five members of the family of Matsumoto Koji, who were in a passenger car, and Takamine Keizo.
The court found that Mizutani had been looking at her smartphone screen for more than ten seconds before the crash. On October 20 it convicted her of negligent driving causing death and handed down seven years, the maximum under the statutory range, matching the prosecutors' request.
Court called driving reckless
In its ruling, the court described the crash as the result of "reckless driving with no regard for the danger" and said it warranted severe criticism. The seven-year term was the heaviest available for the charge.
The appeal window closed on November 4. The court said Mizutani's side filed no appeal, leaving the sentence final.
The case has drawn attention to how Japanese courts sentence drivers whose negligence causes multiple deaths. Seven years is the ceiling the law sets for negligent driving causing death, and the Tsu court chose it.