Cabbie injures 7 people after veering into street music performance

Nagoya, Japan — 75-year-old cabbie Katsuhiro Komori crashed into a crowd watching a street music performance, injuring seven people.

According to police, the incident occurred around 9:25 p.m. near Kanayama Station. While authorities have not identified the cause of the incident, witnesses claim the vehicle mounted the sidewalk and hit people gathered in the station square for the music performance.

Moreover, while others assisted those with injuries, the taxi suddenly backed up, hitting and injuring more people.

Police immediately arrested Mr. Komori, to which the cabbie claimed that he does not remember what happened.

An unnamed co-worker stated that Mr. Komori was never in an accident before. Furthermore, he also claims that the veteran driver did not have any problems at work.

This case is one of many incidents that were caused by an elderly driver. In fact, in months April and June, two elderly drivers have mistaken the throttle for the brake pedal. Subsequently, these drivers crashed and injured several people, leaving two fatalities.

Hence, the government announced a plan to create a new driver’s license system that limits senior citizens to cars.

Moreover, the new license system will target those aged 75 years and above. The system would then require them to take a cognitive assessment test when renewing their licenses. Additionally, it will promote safety measures for senior citizens such as automatic brakes.