3 People Struck by Car in Incidents at Government Buildings; Police Believe Same Driver Involved in Both Crashes (UPDATE 2)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:34 JST, December 6, 2023

MITO — Three people were hit by a car when it plowed into an open space in front of the Hitachi city government building in Ibaraki Prefecture on Wednesday afternoon.

The car fled the scene, and about 30 minutes later at 1:30 p.m., a different car crashed into the main entrance of the Tokai municipal government building in the same prefecture. The Tokai building is about 15 kilometers southwest of the first crash site.

The driver, who is in his 50s, was taken to the hospital and was conscious. Police believe he caused both incidents.

The three victims from the Hitachi building were aged in their 20s to 40s. They were also taken to a hospital and were conscious, firefighters said.

An event was being held at the Hitachi location to display and sell artwork made by people with disabilities.