Kozo Iizuka, who previously served as a senior bureaucrat in Japan’s industry ministry, passed away in prison at the age of 93 on October 26. His death follows a tragic traffic accident in Tokyo on April 19, 2019, in which he ran a red light, resulting in the deaths of 31-year-old Mana Matsunaga and her three-year-old daughter Riko, while also injuring nine other individuals.

Initially, Iizuka attributed the incident to mechanical issues; however, the Tokyo District Court determined in 2021 that he had mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. Consequently, he was sentenced to five years in prison for negligent driving that resulted in fatalities and injuries. This case has drawn attention to the increasing number of traffic accidents in Japan caused by the errors of elderly drivers.

The grieving family of the victims filed a lawsuit against Iizuka, leading the district court to mandate that he pay 146.6 million yen (approximately $951,700) in damages. Takuya Matsunaga, who lost both his wife and daughter in the devastating accident, expressed his thoughts publicly, saying it was regrettable for Iizuka to end up in prison and subsequently pass away. Matsunaga affirmed his commitment to continue advocating for measures that would help reduce the incidence of traffic accidents.

In a personal reflection, Matsunaga mentioned that he wished Iizuka could apologize to his deceased family members if they were to meet. Earlier this year, Matsunaga conveyed his feelings to Iizuka through a prison staff member, leading to a face-to-face meeting in May. During this meeting, Matsunaga asked Iizuka for advice to relay to older drivers and their families, to which Iizuka reportedly suggested that they should surrender their driving licenses promptly.

Upon hearing about Iizuka's death, Matsunaga indicated that he aims to utilize Iizuka's experiences and words to enrich his future advocacy efforts against traffic accidents.