Runaway tire from modified car leaves 4-year-old girl in critical condition

Nov 15, 2023 | News On Japan

SAPPORO - A 49-year-old driver of a modified car has been arrested after his tire fell off and knocked a young girl unconscious, leaving her in critical condition in Sapporo on Tuesday.

Just before the accident, a Suzuki Jimny modified with wide tires was seen driving erratically, doing spins outside of house that capture the footage on a security camera 10 minutes before the accident.

A witness reported, "I was watching from the second floor, wondering what was going on, and then I saw someone get out and check the tires, so I thought there might be something wrong with the car's wheels."

Around 1:30 PM yesterday in Sapporo City's Nishi Ward, a tire came off a light vehicle while it was in motion, striking a girl believed to be 4 years old who was walking on the sidewalk. The girl is in a coma and in critical condition.

Police have arrested the driver on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury.

The Suzuki is believed to have been modified in a way that the tires protruded outside the body of the vehicle, and the police are investigating its maintenance record.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.