On Monday at the Tokyo District Court, Marisa Nakagawa, a bar employee, admitted to being behind the wheel of the car that hit and killed a woman in Ota Ward on May 20.
However, the defendant denied using kakuseizai, or stimulant drugs, at some point beforehand. “I do not recall [the matter],” she told the court.
In stating its case, the prosecution said, “A glass pipe was found hidden in your underwear. As well, an analysis of your urine gave a positive result for stimulant drugs.”
The defense responded, “The day before [the incident], a man living with the defendant injected her with stimulant drugs while she slept.”
Top speed of 121 kilometers per hour
At around 12:50 p.m. on May 20, officers in a patrol car attempted to question Nakagawa after she was observed behaving suspiciously in Shinagawa Ward. However, she sped off in her white Mercedes-AMG SL 63.
The prosecution said that during the subsequent chase Nakagawa’s vehicle reached a top speed of 121 kilometers per hour.
In Ota Ward, about 850 meters from where the pursuit began, Nakagawa lost control and drove up onto a sidewalk where she fatally struck Yu Takahashi, a 34-year-old company employee.
“I took too many drugs”
Officers apprehended Nakagawa shortly after she tried to flee the scene. Police later accused her of involuntary manslaughter and hit-and-run.
The aforementioned urine analysis that yielded a positive result for stimulant drugs was then conducted.
Nakagawa’s statement after police arrived contradicts what she said in court on Monday. “I took too many drugs, but since I do not remember anything up until the collision I do not know if that was the reason for the crash,” she was quoted.
