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CEDAR CITY — The driver of a tour bus that crashed nearly a year ago, killing three Japanese tourists, was ordered to spend less than a year in jail Friday.
Fifth District Court Judge G. Michael Westfall suspended most of the original 15 year sentence for 27-year-old Yasushi Mikuni and ordered him to spend 363 days at the Iron County Jail, followed by three years of probation.
Mikuni, who investigators believe was too drowsy to have been driving a bus containing 14 passengers on Aug. 9, 2010, was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and financial restitution to the families of the victims of the resulting crash. In May, Mikuni pleaded guilty to three third-degree felony counts of negligently operating a vehicle and causing death. In exchange for his plea, seven other felony charges were dropped.
Last month, Mikuni issued a letter of apology to the victims and their families, stating that he cannot forget the images of the day when the bus rolled on I-15 in southern Utah. The accident happened between Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, a leg of a four-day tour of Utah national parks that originated in Nevada and was led by Sandy-based Canyon Transportation Inc.
Three passengers died from injuries sustained in the crash and 11 others were seriously injured. Various personal injury lawsuits are pending against Mikuni and a hospital has ordered repayment of services for several of the victims.
Email:wleonard@ksl.com
