Overview

• Osaka prefectural police arrested 38-year-old Norimitsu Tsuchiyama on Sept. 24 on suspicion of attempted murder over a Feb. 24 incident on National Route 43 in Nishiyodogawa Ward.
• Investigators say the car closed in from behind as the motorcycle traveled in the rightmost lane on a straight, three-lane roadway.
• The 32-year-old rider sustained a fractured right femur and other injuries, with an estimated recovery of about four months.
• Police say they applied the attempted murder charge because the heavy traffic raised a credible risk the fallen rider could have been hit by following vehicles.
• Tsuchiyama denies pushing the motorcycle, and police are examining whether an aggressive-driving dispute preceded the fall.