Police on Wednesday arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of reckless driving resulting in death, marking the first arrest under the revised Criminal Code that came into force on Dec. 25, just one day before the accident took place.
On the morning of Dec. 26, Shingo Kotaka, from Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, allegedly ran a red light at an intersection in the city while traveling well above the 40 kph speed limit. His minivehicle struck a station wagon, killing Masami Doi, 26, a passenger in the station wagon, from Suzuka, according to investigators.
The driver of the other car, Takahiro Okamura, 26, from the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, was slightly injured, and another passenger was severely injured.
The charge of reckless driving resulting in death was instituted under the revised Criminal Code. Police said that with witness accounts of Kotaka's car moving very fast and the suspect's admission that he "knowingly ignored the red light" because he was in a hurry, there is sufficient evidence to bring the reckless driving charge against him.
The law revisions stiffened penalties against reckless drivers, such as those who drive while under the influence of alcohol.