TOKYO (TR) – The Tokyo District Court last week handed a driver for an illegal taxi service a three-year prison term over a fatal hit-and-run incident that occurred last year, reports TV Asahi (Mar. 5).
On March 5, the court handed Kazuyoshi Nishigata the three-year term over the hit-and-run incident that killed theater actress Tomoko Takahashi in Nerima Ward.
The court said, “It is only natural that the victim’s parents expressed their grief and called for severe punishment for the defendant.”
The ruling also mentioned that the defendant fled the scene without providing any assistance to the victim.
“His decision-making is to be severely criticized,” the court continued. “The defendant’s criminal responsibility is grave, and we have no choice but to imprison him.”
Pedaled a bicycle
Takahashi was a member of a Tokyo theater company. While primarily active in stage performances, she also appeared in television dramas.
On October 16, the vehicle driven by Nishigata, then 38, who was employed by company ISANA, stuck Takahashi as she pedaled a bicycle just before 2:30 a.m. He then drove off in the same direction he was traveling.
It was raining at the time. According to witnesses, Takahashi was found lying on the ground bleeding from her head.
She was taken to hospital, but was later pronounced dead from a skull fracture and other injuries.
Asleep at the wheel
Nishigata was transporting four kyabakura hostess employees in Minato Ward, Tokyo to their homes in Saitama Prefecture and other locations.
An investigation using security camera footage led to Nishigata’s arrest that same day. During police questioning, he stated that he had been falling asleep at the wheel.
No alcohol or drugs were detected in Nishigata’s blood at the time of his arrest, police said.
Upon his arrest, Nishigata partially denied the charges. He told police at the time of the accident, “I was falling asleep at the wheel, and when I came to, I [realized I had] hit something, but I didn’t realize it was a person.”
During the investigation, suspicions arose that ISANA was an unlicensed taxi service. Former representatives of the company were arrested in January of this year.
ISANA had contracts with 12 cabaret clubs to provide transportation services.
The judge ruled that the three-year prison sentence was appropriate given that Nishigata had no criminal record, admitted to the crime and apologized to the victim’s family.
