Man dies, five-year-old granddaughter critical after Onomichi bus collision
In short
A 73-year-old man died after his small car collided head-on with a bus in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on October 15. His five-year-old granddaughter was unconscious and in critical condition, and his 69-year-old wife was seriously injured.
Read the full story 1 min read
A 73-year-old man died following a head-on collision between his small car and a bus in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, on October 15. His five-year-old granddaughter, who was riding in the car, was unconscious and in critical condition. His 69-year-old wife was also seriously injured, TBS NEWS DIG and Yomiuri Shimbun reported. [ 1 , 12 ]
The collision occurred on National Route 2 in the city's Sannami district at around 2:20 p.m., according to TBS and Yomiuri. Police and firefighters received a witness report that a bus operating without passengers had collided head-on with a small car. The car's driver was taken to hospital and pronounced dead about three hours later. [ 1 , 12 ]
Yomiuri reported that the bus was heading toward JR Onomichi Station and carried no passengers. It said the 25-year-old male bus driver was not injured, matching the TBS article. Sankei Shimbun's account differed, saying the driver appeared to have minor injuries and that all four people involved had been taken to hospital. [ 1 , 10 , 12 ]
Police were examining whether one vehicle had crossed into the opposing lane, TBS and Sankei reported. The road has one lane in each direction. The reports differed on its shape: Sankei described the stretch as nearly straight, while Yomiuri described a gentle curve. No cause had been established in the supplied accounts. [ 1 , 10 , 12 ]
A person near the scene told TBS that a loud crashing sound prompted them to leave a building and see the bus involved in the collision. Subsequent reports from Nippon TV and TBS continued to report the man's death and the five-year-old girl's critical condition. [ 1 , 13 , 14 ]
Why it matters
The crash killed the car's driver and left two family members seriously hurt. Police were investigating the cause, including the possibility that one vehicle crossed into the opposing lane.
Key facts
- The collision occurred on National Route 2 in Onomichi's Sannami district on October 15. [ 1 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- The 73-year-old car driver died about three hours after the collision. [ 1 , 12 ]
- His five-year-old granddaughter was unconscious and critically injured, while his 69-year-old wife was seriously hurt. [ 1 , 12 ]
- The bus was out of service and had no passengers. [ 10 , 12 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The bus driver's injury status differs across reports. Sankei described him as apparently lightly injured; TBS's article and Yomiuri said he was uninjured.
- Which vehicle crossed into the opposing lane and why. Police were still investigating the collision's cause.