Kobe crash: passenger tells police driver fell ill before car surged
In short
A car that had stopped at a red light in Kobe's Chuo ward suddenly accelerated on Oct. 1 and hit pedestrians, leaving five people dead or injured, including a 21-year-old woman who died. A front-seat passenger told police the driver's condition suddenly worsened while the car was stopped, according to investigative sources. Police believe the sudden change in the driver's health may have caused the accident and plan to question him once he recovers.
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A car struck pedestrians at an intersection in Kobe's Chuo ward on Oct. 1, killing a 21-year-old woman and injuring several other people, with the outlets reporting five people dead or injured in total. According to Nippon TV News, the car had been stopped at a red light at the intersection on Flower Road when it suddenly accelerated. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The woman who died was identified by Nippon TV News as Kishiue Yuku, 21, a resident of Kobe's Higashinada ward. Livedoor News described her as a 21-year-old university student living in the same ward. Three people in their 30s to 70s suffered serious or light injuries, Nippon TV News reported. The driver was hospitalized with injuries that Nippon TV News said included a broken hand; the outlet described him as in his 50s, while Livedoor News gave his age as 58 and said he was seriously injured. [ 1 , 2 ]
Livedoor News and TBS NEWS DIG reported that the car had been waiting at the light before it started forward diagonally into the intersection. Livedoor News said police officers who arrived at the scene found the driver in a dazed state inside the car. [ 2 , 3 ]
A front-seat passenger told police that the driver's condition suddenly worsened while the car was stopped at the red light and that the car then accelerated, according to investigative sources cited by the outlets. Police believe the sudden change in the driver's health may have led to the accident and plan to question him once he recovers, Nippon TV News and Livedoor News reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The crash happened at a busy intersection in central Kobe and has prompted a police investigation into whether a driver's sudden illness caused it. The documents indicate no wider policy or regulatory response so far; the accounts of what happened rest on one passenger's testimony to police and the line of inquiry investigators have stated.
Key facts
- A car struck pedestrians at an intersection in Kobe's Chuo ward on Oct. 1, with five people killed or injured in total. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A 21-year-old woman from Kobe's Higashinada ward died in the crash. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Three people in their 30s to 70s were seriously or lightly injured. [ 1 ]
- The driver was hospitalized; Nippon TV News described him as in his 50s, and Livedoor News gave his age as 58 and said he was seriously injured. [ 1 , 2 ]
- A front-seat passenger told police the driver's condition worsened while the car was stopped at a red light and the car then suddenly accelerated. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Police believe the sudden change in the driver's health may have led to the accident and plan to question him after he recovers. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The car had been waiting at the light before it started forward diagonally into the intersection. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- What caused the driver's condition to worsen and what his medical state was at the time. The documents give no diagnosis or medical detail; Nippon TV News said police will question him once he recovers.
- The driver's exact age. Nippon TV News describes him as a man in his 50s, while Livedoor News gives his age as 58.
- The name of the woman who died. Only Nippon TV News names her, as Kishiue Yuku; Livedoor News identifies her only as a 21-year-old university student.
- The exact time of the crash. The documents give the date as Oct. 1 but no time of day.
- A 21-year-old woman died in the crash. Reported by a single source so far
- The car had been stopped at the red light before it suddenly started forward, according to accounts of the scene. Reported by a single source so far
- Police are investigating whether a sudden change in the driver's health caused the accident. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- A car stopped at a red light at an intersection in Kobe's Chuo ward suddenly accelerates and hits pedestrians, killing a 21-year-old woman and injuring several others. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Police officers arriving at the scene find the driver in a dazed state inside the car. [ 2 ]
- Nippon TV News reports that the front-seat passenger told police the driver's condition worsened while the car was stopped at the red light. [ 1 ]
- Livedoor News reports the same passenger account and the driver's condition at the scene. [ 2 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reports the crash and the passenger's account, saying the car started forward diagonally at the red light. [ 3 ]