Man dies, 8 injured in multi-vehicle crash involving government car in Tokyo
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Six vehicles, including a garbage truck, were involved in the accident, where a government car is believed to have ignored a red traffic light and entered the intersection.
PHOTO: KYODO NEWS
TOKYO – A man died and eight others were injured after a government car apparently caused a multi-vehicle accident in Tokyo’s busy Akasaka district on Jan 22, according to the authorities.
The victim, 32-year-old company employee Noboru Akashi, was a passenger inside a taxi when it was hit by another vehicle that had collided with an official car of the Cabinet Office at an intersection at around 6.35pm on Jan 22.
In all, six vehicles, including a garbage truck, were involved in the accident. Eight other men and women in their 20s to 60s suffered minor to serious injuries.
Police are investigating the accident as a possible case of dangerous driving resulting in death and injury.
According to the authorities, based on footage from dashcams in the vicinity, the government car, which was being driven by a 69-year-old contracted worker, is believed to have ignored a red traffic light and entered the intersection.
The accident happened about 400m west of Toranomon station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. Government buildings, offices and the US Embassy are in the area. KYODO NEWS
