May 29 (Japan Today) - Police in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, have arrested an unemployed 52-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he tied a rope across a national highway, injuring a motorcyclist who was knocked off his bike.
According to police, Katsuo Oshiro was apprehended at around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday after a witness earlier called police to report that a man was attaching a nylon rope to the handrails of steps going up to a pedestrian overpass along National Route 132 in Higashidacho. The rope was about 1.5 meters from the ground and stretched across the 20-meter-wide highway.
A 29-year-old male motorcyclist from Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture, ran into the rope and injured his neck, after being knocked off his bike, Fuji TV reported.
According to police, Oshiro has admitted to setting up the rope but he has denied any murderous intent. He was quoted as saying he just wanted to stop traffic.