A 25-year-old Sankei Shimbun reporter has turned himself in for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run accident Thursday in Otawara in the prefecture, police sources said Saturday.
The sources said police will send papers to prosecutors on Masataka Nishikawa, of the Otawara office of the daily's Utsunomiya Bureau, on suspicion of failing to report the accident and violating safe driving regulations.
According to police, Nishikawa's car collided with another car being driven by a 22-year-old woman on a city street in Otawara at around 1:10 p.m. Thursday and Nishikawa fled the scene. The woman and her 23-year-old sister, who was in the car at the time of the accident, were unhurt.
The accident occurred as Nishikawa was on his way to cover a separate traffic accident, the sources said, adding he turned himself in to the Otawara Police Station about 21/2 hours later.
The Sankei Shimbun said it will determine its course of action after questioning the reporter about the accident.