Overview
- The chain collision occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 on National Route 250 in Kakogawa, where vehicles were stopped at a red light.
- An administrative autopsy on Nov. 5 determined the deceased driver’s cause of death was acute myocardial infarction.
- Investigators report the driver’s condition sharply worsened just before impact, likely leaving the car uncontrolled as it entered between lanes one and two.
- Dashcam footage from nearby vehicles captured the striking of the queue at considerable speed, informing the ongoing reconstruction of events.
- Eighteen people, including children, were injured; the front-seat passenger suffered a broken chest bone and is seriously hurt but not in life-threatening condition.