An express train on the JR Kisei Line collided with a minicar at an unprotected grade crossing Tuesday in Taki, Mie Prefecture, killing a woman and her son who were in the vehicle, local police said.
According to investigators, the two were identified as Sayuri Nekado, 35, and her 10-year-old son, Masaaki. Her husband, Akira, who was also in the car, sustained minor injuries.
The train crashed into the left side of the car at around 11:12 a.m., and dragged the vehicle some 20 meters, police said. None of the roughly 260 people on the train were injured.
Police said the crossing is a very narrow one that is closed to vehicle traffic and has no signal lights or gates.