TOKYO, March 14 (Xinhua) -- One was dead with two others injured after two vehicles collided at a shopping street in western Japan's harbor city of Kobe, according to local police.

The accident took place around 10:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday within the pedestrian-exclusive pathway of Kobe's Motomachi Shopping Street arcade, where a light passenger car collided head-on with a wagon that was engaged in cleaning operations, local police station reports showed.

An 82-year-old woman seated in the passenger seat of the light vehicle, also the wife of the driver, suffered hemorrhagic shock and died after being transported to the hospital.

Her 87-year-old husband who was driving the car sustained severe injuries including fractures. He claimed that the car had gone out of control before veering into the pedestrian pathway.

The driver of the wagon, a 27-year-old male, suffered minor injuries.

Footage from surveillance cameras nearby indicated that the light passenger car entered the arcade from the eastern end of the shopping street at a high speed, which was also confirmed by eyewitnesses on site.

Local authorities are looking into the details of the accident.

As Japan grapples with the challenges of its rapidly aging population, the safety of elderly drivers has raised concerns. Official data showed that in 2022, the number of deadly traffic accidents caused by drivers aged 75 or over in the Asian country rose to 379. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)