Bus Crashes into Windbreak in Western Japan, Killing Driver and Injuring 21
A fatal bus accident occurred in Mihama town, Mie Prefecture, western Japan, on Saturday evening, resulting in the death of the driver and injuring 21 passengers.
The accident happened at around 8:30 p.m. on a national highway in Mihama town. According to police, the bus crossed the center line and crashed into a roadside windbreak.
The driver, 57-year-old Hashizume Satoshi, was pronounced dead at the hospital. The 21 injured passengers were also hospitalized, while a reserve driver on board escaped unharmed.
The bus, operated by Seibu Kanko Bus, was traveling from Nachikatsuura town in Wakayama Prefecture to Saitama City, north of Tokyo.
Video footage from the scene shows significant damage to the front of the bus, with shattered windshields and crushed metalwork.
A passenger in his 30s described the moment of impact, saying he felt a sudden jolt and saw fellow passengers bleeding from their heads, nostrils, and mouths. He expressed shock and gratitude to have survived the ordeal.
