Police arrest driver over Kobe crash that killed university student
In short
Police arrested a 58-year-old driver on October 15 over a Kobe collision that killed a 21-year-old university student and injured others. The car allegedly accelerated from a stop at a red light on October 1; the driver said he did not remember why the crash happened.
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Hyogo prefectural police arrested a 58-year-old driver on October 15 on suspicion of negligent driving causing death and injury in a Kobe collision earlier this month. Japanese outlets identified him as Kenji Yabe (矢部健司), a company executive from Tokushima. The crash killed a 21-year-old university student and injured two men struck by the car. Another person was hurt after falling while trying to avoid it. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
The collision occurred at about 3:40 p.m. on October 1 at an intersection near JR Sannomiya Station in central Kobe. Police said the car had been stopped at a red light before suddenly accelerating for an unknown reason and colliding with people on a crossing. Nippon TV reported that a 38-year-old cyclist suffered a skull fracture and a 62-year-old pedestrian sustained minor injuries. The student suffered a severe head injury and was confirmed dead at the hospital, according to the broadcaster. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Yabe also fractured fingers on his right hand and his spine and was hospitalized. Police waited for his recovery and arrested him after his discharge on October 15, Nippon TV reported. He told investigators that he understood the facts alleged in the arrest but did not remember the event and did not know why he had caused a traffic accident. The broadcaster described him as denying the allegations. [ 1 , 2 ]
A passenger told police that the driver's health suddenly deteriorated while they were stopped at the red light and that the vehicle then accelerated, according to investigative sources cited by the reports. Nippon TV said police found no conspicuous braking marks at the scene. Investigators were considering whether an underlying medical condition or sudden illness contributed and planned to examine the cause in detail. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
Police are investigating whether a sudden change in the driver's health contributed to the crash. The reports describe an arrest on suspicion of negligent driving causing death and injury, without a court finding on responsibility.
Key facts
- The crash occurred near JR Sannomiya Station in central Kobe on October 1. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- A 21-year-old university student died and two men struck by the car were injured. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Another person was injured after falling while trying to avoid the vehicle. [ 1 , 4 ]
- Police arrested the driver after he recovered sufficiently from injuries sustained in the crash. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The cause of the vehicle's sudden acceleration remains under investigation. A passenger described the driver's sudden ill health, and police were considering a possible medical cause.