Kitakyushu speeding accident: Man referred to prosecutors

A 20-year-old vocational school student, Naoya Ota, has been referred to prosecutors on suspicion of dangerous driving resulting in injury following a high-speed collision in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture.

On September 7, Ota was driving a passenger car at approximately 144 km/h on National Route 10, exceeding the 50 km/h speed limit by 94 km/h. The vehicle collided with another car that had entered from a roadside parking area, injuring a married couple inside the other vehicle.

Investigators have noted that there were no brake marks at the scene of the accident. It is also believed that Ota was repeatedly changing lanes immediately before the collision. Ota has partially denied the charges, stating, “I thought I was driving at about 100 km/h.”