A JAPAN court today sentenced an elderly man to 14 years in prison for killing two elementary school children and severely injuring three others in a drink-driving incident near Tokyo last year, reported Xinhua.

Hiroshi Umezawa, 61, is found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol when his vehicle struck the students who were on their way home from school in Chiba in June last year.

Prosecutors condemned him for what they described as “one of the worst-ever cases of drink-driving in Japan”.

They sought a 15-year sentence for the offender, with the families of the victims also calling for a hefty punishment.

Umezawa admitted to the charge of dangerous driving resulting in death or injury. He offered his apologies to the families.

Two boys, aged 7 and 8, were killed in the incident, while two other boys and a girl were seriously injured.

Prosecutors said Umezawa consumed 220mm of “shochu” liquor prior to the fatal crash.

Police said a breathalyzer test administered after the crash showed that he was well over the legal limit for operating a vehicle.

The indictment stated that Umezawa consumed alcohol at a rest area on an expressway during work at about 3pm local time on June 28, 2021.

He then drove down a street in Yachimata at about 3.30pm, where he fell asleep at the wheel and smashed into the group of students. – Bernama, March 25, 2022.