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A 68-year-old microbus driver was arrested after a crash on the Ban-Etsu Expressway in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, killed a 17-year-old high school student, Nippon.com reported via Jiji Press. The student, identified as Hiroto Inagaki of Niigata, was on a microbus carrying members of Hokuetsu High School's soft tennis club.
Key developments
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The crash happened around 7:40 a.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, on the expressway's inbound lane near the Bandaiatami Interchange. An earlier Nippon.com/Jiji report said the microbus hit a guardrail at a gentle right curve.
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Inagaki was thrown into the outbound lane and confirmed dead at the scene. Police said he died from blood loss, according to the reports.
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Fukushima prefectural police arrested Tetsuo Wakayama, 68, of Tainai, Niigata Prefecture, on Thursday, May 7, on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death and injury. Nippon.com reported that Wakayama admitted the allegations and told police he had been too optimistic about the speed.
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The incident involved multiple vehicles. All others on the microbus were taken to hospital, and the earlier report said none had life-threatening injuries. After the microbus crash, a truck hit the bent guardrail, leaving two people with minor injuries. Nippon.com reported a total of 20 people were injured in the crashes.
What to watch
The next confirmed update is likely to come from Fukushima police or prosecutors as the case moves beyond the initial arrest. Key unresolved details include whether investigators identify speed, road conditions, vehicle condition, or other factors as contributing causes.
The case may also draw attention to safety procedures for school club travel, but the available reports do not confirm any issue with the school, the trip plan, or the vehicle beyond the suspected negligent driving allegation against the driver.
Sources
- The Japan Times: Microbus driver arrested after crash kills student in northeastern Japan
- Nippon.com: Bus Crash Kills Student in Northeastern Japan; Driver Arrested
- Nippon.com: High School Student Killed in Bus Crash in Northeastern Japan
Photo by Victoriano Izquierdo on Unsplash
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