A 10-year-old girl died and four other members of her family were injured when their car overturned on the Matsuyama Expressway in Ehime Prefecture, police said Monday.
The accident in the city of Saijo at 11:05 p.m. Sunday left Chihiro Matsuda dead and her 1-year-old sister, Ayano, critically injured. Their 11-year-old sister, Misaki, sustained serious injuries, while their mother, Chieko, 33, and father, Yoshihiro, 35, suffered slight injuries. The family is from Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture.
Police believe the car, being driven by Chieko Matsuda, suffered a blowout while trying to pass another vehicle, causing her to lose control. The car hit the center barrier, rolled sideways and hit another car before slamming into a guardrail, they said.
Another car was rear-ended when it stopped due to the accident.
Expressway traffic was disrupted between Iyokomatsu and Kawauchi, according to police.