A taxi and a convertible collided Monday morning at an intersection here, seriously injuring three people in the open-top car, who were thrown from the vehicle, police said.

The taxi driver sustained a minor injury to his neck while his female passenger was unhurt in the 6:20 a.m. crash in Higashi Ward, the Aichi Prefectural Police said.

According to officials at Higashi Police Station, the man driving the convertible apparently caused the accident.

"I entered the intersection after I got a green light," the cab driver was quoted as telling the police. "Then (the convertible) slammed into me."

After hitting the taxi, the convertible struck the median divider, the police said.

Police cars collide

OITA (Kyodo) Two police cars slammed into each other Monday at an intersection here, injuring four police officers, police said.

The cars, assigned to separate "koban" police boxes, were both responding to a reported apartment break-in.

Police are investigating whether the two cars took adequate steps to alert other cars while they were rushing to the scene.