TOKYO (TR) – A male taxi driver accused of fatally running over another driver after a dispute erupted between the pair last week has told police that he attempted to stop his vehicle multiple times, reports TV Asahi (Sept. 17).
At around 1:00 p.m. on September 15, Yasuhiro Minami, a 69-year-old Korean national, got into a traffic-related dispute with Susumu Okada, a 45-year-old driver for a car for hire, while they were both inside their vehicles on a narrow road in the Roppongi area.
After Okada exited his vehicle, Minami accelerated his cab at him, knocking him onto the hood. After traveling for several meters, the cab then slammed into a street light.
Okada was later confirmed dead at a hospital, police said.
After his arrest on suspicion of murder, Minami denied the allegations. “I stepped on the brakes three times, but the car did not stop,” the suspect was quoted by police. In another quote, he said “the car started on its own.”
