TOKYO (TR) – A car stolen from a dealer last month struck pedestrians and other people one after another on a national highway in Adachi Ward, killing two persons and injuring nine others.
According to investigators, there were no noticeable brake marks on the pavement where the vehicle finally came to a stop. Tokyo police are currently investigating the circumstances that led to the accident, according to local media.
On the afternoon of November 24, the car sped out of control on a national highway in Umejima, striking pedestrians and other people one after another.
The nine men and women injured are aged in their teens to 70s. The two deceased persons have been identified as Kenji Sugimoto, 81, and Testado Gladys Grace Lotaquio, 28, both residents of Adachi.
The car had been a display vehicle without license plates. Police arrested a 37-year-old man living in Adachi on suspicion of theft after allegedly stealing it from a nearby car dealership approximately two hours before the accident.
It is believed that the suspect was driving the car and caused the accident.
During questioning, the suspect said, “The car was unlocked, so I got in.” However, he denied the theft charge. “I didn’t steal it, I just wanted to test drive it,” he said.
Police have not revealed the suspect’s name, citing the need for careful consideration of whether criminal liability can be pursued.
The suspect’s mother said, “I’m sorry to the victims. I think my son was out and not at home around 8 a.m. yesterday. He’s never been in an accident before, so this is the first time something like this has happened. My son doesn’t own a car, and I haven’t heard of any particular problems with car dealerships.”
Brake marks
The car ran onto the sidewalk and traveled approximately 300 meters before colliding with a guardrail and other objects and coming to a stop. However, subsequent investigations revealed that there were no noticeable brake marks on the road surface at the scene except for just before it came to a stop.
In addition, based on security camera footage, it is believed that the car ran a red light and entered the intersection, hitting the 28-year-old woman who died.
Just before the accident, a patrol car received a report of a stolen car and spotted and pursued the car on the road. Tokyo police are investigating how the car was stolen and the possibility that the case was a hit-and-run.
Dealership
According to police, the suspect visited the dealership in Adachi alone around 10:30 a.m. on November 24. He had previously visited the dealership twice as a customer, and employees were acquainted with him.
The stolen display car was parked in the dealership’s parking lot at the time, but the suspect is believed to have gotten into the car without stopping inside the store and driven away in just about two minutes. The keys were left inside the car, which led police to believe he was able to drive it immediately.
When an employee noticed the car was missing, they checked security camera footage and spotted a person resembling the suspect, which led to a call to police.
The suspect had previously filled out a customer questionnaire with his name, address, and contact information. Tokyo police later called the suspect’s home based on the information from the dealership.
Then, about 30 minutes after the accident, just after 1:00 p.m., the family contacted police. “Our son has returned home,” the caller said. Police officers responded to the home, where they found the suspect and subsequently arrested him on suspicion of theft.
Details of the accident
The vehicle involved was a white, unlicensed display car. There were approximately two hours between the car being stolen and the accident. The suspect’s exact movements during that time were unknown, reports NHK (Dec. 2).
However, subsequent investigations using security camera footage and other methods have revealed that the suspect appears to have stopped off at a gas station in Soka City, Saitama Prefecture, and a drugstore in Adachi, according to interviews with investigators.
At around 12:30 p.m., the vehicle struck Lotaquio as she crossed the national highway in front of Adachi Ward Office in Umejima, about 1 kilometer north of the dealership. Lotaquio later died.
The car continued driving down the road for 90 meters before mounting up onto the sidewalk on the left side of the road and traveling for approximately 100 meters, hitting Sugimoto and three men and women in their 60s and 70s. Sugimoto was later confirmed dead.
The car then returned to the road from the sidewalk and traveled 100 meters near the center, colliding with trucks, cars, and other vehicles.
The car then collided with a guardrail and came to a stop. The driver got out and fled.
In addition to the two persons who died, the nine injured persons suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious.
