TOKYO (TR) – A 34-year-old man who allegedly caused a hit-and-run accident in Minato Ward has been accused of using stimulant drugs before the incident, police said on Monday, reports NHK (Oct. 26).
In August, Masao Mineta, of no known occupation, crashed the rented vehicle into another a second car waiting at an intersection in Toranomon.
Mineta, who was driving without a license, fled the scene. The 37-year-old driver of the other vehicle suffered serious injuries that required three weeks to heal, police said.
The vehicle driven by Mineta was rented in the name of an acquaintance, police said.
Mineta had already been prosecuted over the alleged possession of kakuseizai, or stimulant drugs, at his residence in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture. He had also been accused of hit-and-run and reckless driving resulting in injury.
In the latest development, police have now sent Mineta to prosecutors over the alleged use of stimulant drugs at an internet cafe in Kashiwa before the incident.
“I have no recollection of the accident,” Mineta said in denying the allegations.
