45-year-old Japanese actress Ryoko Hirosue was involved in a rear-end collision while driving on the expressway last April, resulting in injury to a passenger in her car. On December 22 last year, the Kakegawa District Public Prosecutor's Office filed a summary indictment against her for violating the Act on Punishment of Acts Inflicting Death or Injury by Driving a Motor Vehicle (negligent driving resulting in injury). The Shizuoka District Court confirmed on the 5th that the Kakegawa Summary Court had issued a summary order for Hirosue to pay a fine of 700,000 yen (about 18,000 ringgit). The order was dated December 23 last year.
According to the indictment and other materials, on April 7 last year, Ryoko Hirosue was driving on the Shin-Tomei Expressway in Shizuoka Prefecture when she rear-ended a container truck, causing the male passenger in her car to suffer a fractured rib, among other injuries. Reportedly, she was driving at a speed as high as 185 km/h at the time. As for her suspected assault of a female nurse, the case was not prosecuted.
After being released from the police station on April 16 last year, she was immediately hospitalized. She later issued a statement saying she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and hyperthyroidism, and would be suspending all entertainment activities to focus on ongoing treatment, prioritizing her mental and physical recovery. According to Tokyo Sports News last month, some agencies have already extended work invitations to her. Industry insiders revealed that those holding casting power now had all experienced the "Hirosue whirlwind" in the past, with many being her fans who wish to "help her as much as possible" in their professional capacity, and thus proactively reached out with offers. Although her return depends on her health conditions, she might start making her comeback as early as this year.
News Source: Apple Daily News