In the fall of 2019, when a vehicle moving at an extremely high speed crashed into a guard rail, the life of a 21-year-old first-year college student in Hiroshima Prefecture was forever changed.
Seated in the back seat of the car while traveling with friends, she was left severely disabled by the crash.
The driver, a young man then-18 years old, was charged with dangerous driving resulting in injury. But during his first trial at the Hiroshima District Court in March, he partially denied the charge, with his defense arguing that his case fell short of fulfilling the criteria for the crime.