TOKYO, June 20 (Xinhua) -- A woman in her 70s was fatally struck by a car driven by an elderly driver on Thursday in the parking lot of a supermarket in Tokyo area, according to local police departmentabaccarat.
The accident took place shortly after 1 p.m. local time at a supermarket in the city of Kodaira, when local police received reports of a three-car accident in the parking lot where a woman was bleeding lying on the ground.
It appears that the woman, who was in her 70s, was getting out of a compact car parked in the lot when an out-of-control passenger vehicle collided with her from the right side. The car continued for several meters before crashing into a tree and coming to a stop. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested the 70-year-old woman driving the car on the spot for negligent driving resulting in the death. The suspect admitted to the charges.
Authorities are investigating the detailed cause of the accident.
As Japan grapples with the challenges of its rapidly aging population, the safety of elderly drivers has raised concerns. The number of accidents involving drivers aged 75 and older has been rising, with 30,330 incidents reported last year, up from a temporary decline during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.■