Man Arrested After Hitting 6-Year-Old Girl in Kumamoto; Claims Pedal Error
A 66-year-old unemployed man, Takahisa Matsuzawa, was arrested by the Kumamoto Chuo Police Station on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury after striking a six-year-old girl with his car. The incident occurred around 4:50 p.m. on April 18, 2026, at an intersection in Hanazono 1-chome, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City. The victim, a first-grade elementary school student, was walking with her father at the time of the accident. While the father remained uninjured, the girl suffered head bleeding and was transported to a hospital where she remains in critical condition and unconscious. Upon arrest, Matsuzawa admitted to the charges, stating that he mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake before entering the intersection. The location was noted as a city road intersection lacking traffic lights or designated crosswalks. The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash under the Act on Punishment of Death and Injury by Driving. This tragic event highlights ongoing concerns regarding pedestrian safety at uncontrolled intersections and the severe consequences of driver error involving vulnerable road users.
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Man Arrested After Hitting 6-Year-Old Girl in Kumamoto; Claims Pedal Error
A 66-year-old unemployed man, Takahisa Matsuzawa, was arrested by the Kumamoto Chuo Police Station on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury after striking a six-year-old girl with his car. The incident occurred around 4:50 p.m. on April 18, 2026, at an intersection in Hanazono 1-chome, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City. The victim, a first-grade elementary school student, was walking with her father at the time of the accident. While the father remained uninjured, the girl suffered head bleeding and was transported to a hospital where she remains in critical condition and unconscious. Upon arrest, Matsuzawa admitted to the charges, stating that he mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake before entering the intersection. The location was noted as a city road intersection lacking traffic lights or designated crosswalks. The police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash under the Act on Punishment of Death and Injury by Driving. This tragic event highlights ongoing concerns regarding pedestrian safety at uncontrolled intersections and the severe consequences of driver error involving vulnerable road users.
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