Three-car collision at Tsuruoka intersection kills 68-year-old man; driver arrested
In short
A passenger car and two light cars collided at a signalized intersection in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, on the night of Oct 5. The 68-year-old driver of one light car died and three other people were injured, according to police accounts. Police arrested the driver of the passenger car on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury and are investigating whether one of the drivers ran a red light.
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Three cars — a passenger car and two light cars — collided at a signalized intersection in Hakusan, Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, on the night of Oct 5, according to police accounts reported by Livedoor News and TBS NEWS DIG. The driver of the passenger car was arrested on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury. According to Nippon TV News, police are examining the state of the traffic signals and the drivers' purposes for being on the road. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The driver of the first light car, a 68-year-old man, was taken to hospital and confirmed dead at 00:17 on Oct 6, Livedoor News reported, citing police; it said the cause was traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Nippon TV News named him as Nobuyuki Amemiya of Mihara-cho, Tsuruoka, and reported the same cause of death. A 54-year-old substitute driver riding in the same car was in critical condition with cervical spine damage, both outlets reported; Nippon TV named him as Shin Abe of Wakaba-cho, Tsuruoka. Two 66-year-old men in the second light car complained of chest pain and suffered minor injuries, Livedoor News said. [ 2 , 4 ]
The arrested driver was described as a self-described part-time worker living in Tsuruoka. Livedoor News and TBS NEWS DIG gave his age as 31, while Nippon TV News gave it as 30 and named him as Kodai Igarashi of Makishiro-hei, Tsuruoka. He was not injured, Livedoor News reported. Nippon TV News said he called 110 himself to report the accident, and that police are continuing to investigate the cause. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
The documents differ on when the collision happened: Livedoor News and TBS NEWS DIG placed it at around 22:13 on Oct 5, while Nippon TV News said it was around 22:50. They also differ on the suspect's age. The documents do not state which account is correct. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
TBS NEWS DIG's first bulletin, published at 05:25, reported the accident in Tsuruoka with two people said to be unconscious and said details were still being confirmed. Later reports said one person had died and three had been injured. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The crash is a fatal road accident in a regional Japanese city, and police are still working out whether a traffic signal was ignored, which would shape any further charges. For readers outside the area the consequences are limited to what the investigation establishes, since the documents report no wider policy or safety response.
Key facts
- A passenger car and two light cars were involved in a collision at a signalized intersection in Hakusan, Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, on the night of Oct 5. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- The 68-year-old driver of the first light car died; Livedoor News and Nippon TV News said the cause was traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- A 54-year-old substitute driver riding in that light car was seriously injured with cervical spine damage. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Two 66-year-old men in the second light car complained of chest pain and suffered minor injuries. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Police arrested the driver of the passenger car, a self-described part-time worker living in Tsuruoka, on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Police are investigating the cause, including the possibility that one of the drivers ran a red light. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Nippon TV News reported that the arrested driver himself called 110 to report the accident. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Three cars — a passenger car and two light cars — collided at a signalized intersection in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture, on the night of Oct 5. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- One person, the 68-year-old driver of a light car, died in the accident. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Three other people were injured in the accident. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Police arrested the driver of the passenger car on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Police are investigating whether one of the drivers ignored a traffic signal. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- The age of the arrested driver is given as 31 by Livedoor News and TBS NEWS DIG, but as 30 by Nippon TV News. The outlets report different ages for the same suspect.
- The time of the collision is given as around 22:13 by Livedoor News and TBS NEWS DIG, but as around 22:50 by Nippon TV News. The outlets report different times for the same event.
- Whether either driver ran a red light has not been established. Police say they are still investigating the cause, and no document reports a conclusion.
- TBS NEWS DIG's first bulletin said two people were unconscious, while later reports said one person had died and three were injured. The earliest report described details as still being confirmed and was superseded by later accounts.
- The names of the suspect, the deceased and the injured passenger appear only in Nippon TV News. These details come from a single outlet and are not corroborated by the other documents.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- A passenger car entered the signalized intersection in Hakusan, Tsuruoka, and collided with two light cars, according to the police account reported by Livedoor News and TBS NEWS DIG. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Nippon TV News gives the time of the collision as around 22:50, differing from the other reports. [ 4 ]
- The 68-year-old driver of the first light car was confirmed dead at a hospital, Livedoor News reported, citing police. [ 2 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG's first bulletin reported the accident in Tsuruoka with two people said to be unconscious and details still being confirmed. [ 1 ]
- Livedoor News reported the death of the 68-year-old driver and the arrest of the passenger-car driver. [ 2 ]
- TBS NEWS DIG reported one death and three injuries in the three-car accident and the arrest of the 31-year-old driver. [ 3 ]
- Nippon TV News reported the arrest and named the suspect, the deceased driver and the injured substitute driver. [ 4 ]