Tokyo – Six people, including four nursery school-aged children, were injured Monday after a minivan plowed into them on pedestrian crossing in Hachioji City, western Japan, local police said.
According to local police and firefighters, the children, who were aged one or two years old, sustained minor injures in the incident and along with two nursery school teachers in their 30s and 40s, were taken to hospital.
The police described their injuries as not being life threatening.
The driver of the minivan, a man in his 60s, was arrested by the police for alleged negligence resulting in injury, the police said.
The driver was also taken to hospital, the police also said.
The incident occurred at around 10:20 a.m. local time while the children were being taken for a walk by their teachers close to their nursery school.
Some of the children were on foot, others were being pushed in a carrying cart when they were struck by the vehicle on the crossing, the police said.
The minivan was badly damaged in the collision and had its windshield broken, while its bumper and a headlight were hanging off.
Children’s shoes could be seen scattered around the scene of the incident.
Local residents were quoted as saying that many drivers fail to stop at the lights at the pedestrian crossing, which is located about 3.5 kilometers north of JR Hachioji Station.
(Xinhua/NAN)