NARA (TR) – Nara Prefectural Police have arrested a 79-year-old woman on suspicion of attempted murder after she allegedly drove for over two kilometers with a man clinging to the hood of her vehicle following a parking lot altercation, reports Nippon News Network (Nov. 1).
At around 9:20 a.m. on Saturday, suspect Chizuko Higashi, an unemployed resident of Kashihara City, accelerated her minicar out of the parking lot of her apartment complex while a man was standing directly in front of the vehicle. Higashi is accused of driving approximately 2.2 kilometers over an eight-minute span while the man was stranded on the hood.
According to police, the incident was sparked moments earlier when Higashi opened her car door and struck the victim’s neighboring parked vehicle. When the man confronted her over the door ding, he positioned himself in front of her car to prevent her from leaving the scene and dialed emergency services.
Remarkably, the victim remained on the line with police dispatchers throughout the harrowing ordeal as Higashi sped down local roads. He was finally able to climb down from the hood on his own when the car came to a halt at a red traffic light. He suffered minor injuries, including bruising to his right hand.
During questioning, Higashi partially denied the attempted murder allegations, offering a bizarre justification for her reckless driving.
“I kept driving because my hospital appointment was approaching,” Higashi was quoted as telling investigators. “I had no intention of killing him.”
Police are currently investigating the precise circumstances surrounding the incident.
