The court proceedings for the Jan. 13 Kitanakagusuku trailer accident, in which three people were killed and another three injured, started Monday.

During the investigation into the cause of the accident 36-year-old Manabu Nakou, who had been riding in the tractor together with the driver, admitted that he had failed to secure the lock pin that was supposed to keep the trailer in its place. The lock pin eventually became loose, leading to the accident. Nakou has admitted to all the charges.

At the beginning of the trial, the prosecutors argued, “The defendant was in a hurry and did not surely insert the lock pin” thus being negligent in his duties at the work place.

According to the indictment, because the defendant did not check the security pin, the back wheel assembly of the trailer that was carrying a 20-meter-long concrete bridge girder came loose and veered onto the opposite lane hitting two cars, killing three people and injuring another three.

The driver of the tractor trailer was initially arrested, but was later released and is not held responsible for the accident.

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