TOKYO - A six-vehicle pileup at a busy intersection in Akasaka, Minato Ward, left nine people dead or injured after a Cabinet Office vehicle is believed to have entered the intersection at high speed more than a minute after the traffic light had turned red, investigators said.
The crash occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m. on January 23rd during the evening rush, when the official vehicle reportedly drove into the intersection against a red light and collided with a white wagon, triggering a chain-reaction accident involving multiple vehicles.
A reporter at the scene described severe damage to a black car’s front end, with debris scattered as far as the sidewalk, although no pedestrians were caught up in the crash.
According to witnesses, the impact was sudden and violent. One driver involved in the accident said they heard a loud sound and then saw the white vehicle burst into view, adding that the driver appeared to be bleeding heavily in the face.
The accident killed taxi passenger Noboru Akashi, a 32-year-old company employee, who suffered a fatal head injury, while eight other people, including men and women in their 20s to 60s, sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Police said the official vehicle was being driven by a 69-year-old man employed by a private company contracted to provide driving services for the Cabinet Office, and he suffered serious injuries including broken ribs.
Investigators said the government vehicle had been traveling from the direction of the National Diet building when it struck the wagon coming from the right, then continued to involve a taxi traveling alongside. The wagon and taxi were thrown into oncoming lanes, where they collided with additional vehicles including a garbage truck and a luxury foreign car before coming to a stop.
A taxi driver caught in the crash said his vehicle hit several others and appeared to spin roughly twice, adding that the scene changed so quickly he was still struggling to fully process what happened.
Investigators also believe the official vehicle entered the intersection at a speed exceeding the legal limit of 60 kilometers per hour, and no clear skid marks were found at the scene, suggesting the driver may not have braked before impact.
The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the circumstances, including the possibility of dangerous driving resulting in death or injury.
The company employing the driver told JNN on January 24th that there had been “no particular issues” with his work conditions immediately prior to the crash.
Source: TBS
