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Manager of Hokkaido boxing gym arrested in road-rage incident

Mitsunori Sato
Mitsunori Sato (TV Asahi)

HOKKAIDO (TR) – Hokkaido Prefectural Police have arrested the manager of a boxing gym in Asahikawa City for allegedly assaulting the driver of a vehicle during a road-rage incident earlier this year, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Nov. 7).

On August 28, Mitsunori Sato, 53, allegedly struck a 44-year-old male company employee from Furano City in the chest and abdomen after both persons exited their vehicles at a traffic light on National Route 237.

The victim suffered injuries that required two weeks to heal.

Sato, who has been accused of assault, denies the allegations. “I don’t recall [the incident],” the suspect was quoted by the Asahikawa-Higashi Police Station.

Prior to the incident, Sato’s vehicle was weaving back and forth behind another vehicle on the same highway over a one-kilometer stretch, police said. The confrontation took place after the vehicle driven by the suspect victim pulled up next to that driven by Sato.

Sato was arrested on Monday after the victim took note of his appearance and his vehicle’s license plate.