Tetsuya Ota
He survived a fiery multi-car pileup he was involved in during a JGTC race at Fuji Speedway on May 3, 1998, caused by a safety car which was driven at twice the recommended speed in torrential rain during a parade lap.[2] This caused 910 Racing's Porsche 911 RSR driven by Tomohiko Sunako to aquaplane and strike the rear of Kaoru Hoshino's 911 GT2.[citation needed] As a result of his injuries, Ota was no longer able to move his right arm, right shoulder and fingers properly.[6] As a result, Ota filed a damages suit for about ¥290 million ($2,500,000 US) against seven organizers for their failure to implement proper safety measures in Tokyo District Court in November 1999.On 29 October 2003, six race sponsors and promoters including TV Tokyo, VICIC and Fuji Speedway were found guilty of gross negligence.[6][7] The judge, Tsuyoshi Ono, decided that organizers neglected their responsibility, as Ota was left in his burning vehicle for longer than the 30 seconds in which he should have been out of the car.[6] The judge determined the pre-race agreement between Ota and the organizers not to pursue legal action in the event of an accident was unacceptable.[2] Despite his written pledge to organizers not to seek compensation in the event of an accident, which all drivers were required to sign, the judge ruled it unfair and said it runs counter to public order and morals.The court found TV Tokyo guilty of gross negligence for attempting to avoid responsibility for its part in the incident.Shinichi Yamaji, the driver who saved Ota's life by extinguishing his car's fire and pulling him out, died on May 26, 2014, aged 50, from an undisclosed long illness.