Three people were killed early Sunday when their car collided with a large truck on a national road in Yamaguchi Prefecture, police said.
Killed were Takashi Sakamoto, 27, the driver of the car, and passengers Takaaki Uto, 27, and Yoshiyuki Omichi, 25, police said, adding that the three, from the prefecture, died instantly from head injuries in the 1:45 a.m. incident on Route 2 in the town of Kumage.
The truck's driver, Mitsuru Hisamoto, 53, was unhurt, they said.
The police believe Sakamoto's car spun into the opposite lane on the slippery road in rainy weather and collided with the truck.