In a trial in which an 89-year-old defendant was accused of causing a car runaway in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, killing his mother and child, his attorney made an opening statement, claiming that he had not mistakenly stepped on the accelerator and brakes.
Kozo Iizuka (89), a former Ministry of International Trade and Industry executive, ran out of control in Ikebukuro, Tokyo last April, hitting a pedestrian, killing his 31-year-old mother and 3-year-old eldest daughter, and seriously injuring nine people. He is accused of inflicting a crime and claims innocence.
At the third trial held at the Tokyo District Court on the 14th, the defendant's attorney made an opening statement.
The lawyer said, "I stepped on the brake near the accident site, but I couldn't decelerate, and while I was in a panic, I visually checked the accelerator and then stepped on the brake. It is possible that the brake did not work due to a problem with the electrical system of the car. Can't be denied, and there is no mistake in stepping on the accelerator and brake. "
The prosecution claimed at its first trial in October that the car was normal and that the defendant had mistakenly stepped on the brake and accelerator.
After the trial, Mana Matsunaga's husband, Takuya, who died, said, "It's a pity that I can't seem to understand the pain when I'm really sorry to face the person who caused the damage."