A first-grader was in critical condition and four of his schoolmates were also injured in Yawata, Kyoto Prefecture, when a sports car driven by an 18-year-old male plowed into them Tuesday morning as they walked to school, police said.
The 6-year-old boy in critical condition sustained head injuries, the police and other local authorities said. The four other students — aged 6, 9, 10 and 11 — suffered light injuries in the incident, which occurred at around 7:55 a.m.
The 18-year-old driver was immediately arrested on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in injuries. He lives in Yawata, but his name is being withheld because he is a minor.
The driver told authorities he obtained a driver's license last November and was on his way to work. He was quoted as telling the police that he was driving too fast going into a bend and lost control of the car.
The vehicle hit the left-hand curb, causing it to veer to the right, jump the guardrail and rip into the line of children, the police said.