TOKYO - A man believed to have been involved in a fatal hit-and-run that left one person dead and 11 others injured in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward on November 24th was taken into custody as police began questioning him on a voluntary basis.
The incident occurred at around 12:30 p.m. on the final day of the three-day weekend along National Route 4, an area lined with a major shopping center and heavy traffic both on foot and by car. Footage obtained by FNN appears to capture the moment of the crash, showing a white car speeding into the rear of a stationary blue truck, striking two vehicles in succession and sending the truck hurtling forward as its cargo scattered across the road.
Another camera recorded the loud impact resonating across the area. Moments later, despite the car still inching forward, a man jumped out from inside and fled. Around the same time, a separate camera at the scene captured a person—whose identity could not be immediately confirmed—running away at full speed.
One eyewitness said they saw a white car swerving violently in their side mirror before it slammed into the vehicles, adding that the driver “came out immediately and ran” as the truck’s cargo spilled across the road.
Before this footage was recorded, the white car is believed to have struck pedestrians in a crosswalk and continued attempting to flee by driving along the sidewalk. After hitting multiple people, the vehicle returned to the roadway before crashing into the blue truck.
A woman who aided in rescue efforts said she heard a tremendous sound and turned around to see pedestrians being struck one after another. She shouted for an AED, saying both a pedestrian and a security guard had been hit.
The white vehicle involved carried a “certified used car” label where its license plate should have been. Police believe it was stolen from a nearby auto dealership.
The series of collisions resulted in the death of a man in his 80s, while a woman in her 20s remains unconscious and in critical condition. Ten others, ranging in age from their teens to their 70s, sustained serious or minor injuries.
The Metropolitan Police Department is questioning the man believed to have been driving the white car and is investigating the case on suspicion of vehicle theft and dangerous driving resulting in injury.
Source: FNN
