Saitama student killed in school field accident by unlicensed teenage driver

SAITAMA–A 16-year-old unlicensed student crashed into his school vehicle on the sports field of his high school here, killing his 17-year-old friend who was sitting in the front passenger seat.

The driver and the third 17-year-old student sitting in the back seat were uninjured.

The three boys are second-year students at Saitama Sakae High School.

Authorities received an emergency call at 11:40 p.m. on Nov. 16 reporting that a student was unconscious after a vehicle rolled over onto the passenger side.

According to police, just before the accident, the driver lost control when the car’s right wheels hit high ground in the off-road.

The owner of the vehicle, which does not have a license plate, belongs to the school. It was apparently used to drag rollers and harrows to protect the field.

Authorities are questioning the driver, who may be charged with dangerous driving resulting in death.

Two students told police that they had been driving off-road for about half an hour when the accident occurred.

(This article was written by Satomi Sugihara and Shun Tsunekawa.)