AKITA (TR) – Akita Prefectural Police announced on Friday the arrest of a 38-year-old sergeant from the Yurihonjo Police Station on suspicion of drunken driving after he crashed his vehicle into multiple roadside support posts late last month, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun (Nov. 7).
The suspect, an officer assigned to the station’s traffic division and a resident of Akita City, has admitted to charges of drunk driving. “There is no mistake,” he was quoted as telling investigators.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 11:00 p.m. on October 30. The sergeant was behind the wheel of a minivehicle while heavily intoxicated on a prefectural road in Uraozakicho, Yurihonjo City, when he lost control and plowed into five roadside support posts.
A passerby who witnessed the aftermath dialed the emergency hotline to report the collision.
Investigators revealed that prior to the crash, the sergeant had been drinking alcohol at a gathering with six fellow officers from the same police station. Although he showed no visible external injuries, he was transported to a local hospital following the crash. Police delayed his arrest until he had sufficiently recovered.
In an ironic twist, the officer was assigned to the traffic division, where his primary duties involved conducting traffic enforcement and investigating vehicle accidents.
