Idemitsu Tanker President, Taxi Driver Killed as Taxi Overturns on Metropolitan Expressway in Tokyo; Driver Possibly Died of Illness

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:39 JST, May 13, 2024

Idemitsu Tanker Co. President Ichiro Matsuo and the driver of the taxi he was riding in died on Saturday evening when their vehicle overturned in the Tama River tunnel on the Metropolitan Expressway’s Bay Shore Route in Ota Ward, Tokyo.

The male taxi driver and the 61-year-old president from Yokohama were confirmed dead upon arrival at the hospital, according to Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Expressway Traffic Police Unit.

Matsuo is believed to have suffered a severe blow to the chest, while the driver suffered no noticeable injuries. Police are therefore investigating the possibility that the driver died of an illness.

The accident occurred on a straight, three-lane road. The taxi reportedly overturned after colliding with the curb. Police are investigating the details behind the cause of the accident.