A truck driver was arrested Thursday over a hit-and-run in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, that left a woman dead after being dragged about 300 meters, police said.
Toshimitsu Kawamoto, 65, of Seto, Aichi Prefecture, admitted to negligent homicide and violating the Road Traffic Law, according to the police.
They believe the victim was an 83-year-old woman living nearby.
The police found a wrecked bicycle and body parts scattered all over the road. They said a DNA analysis was necessary to confirm her identity.
Kawamoto was arrested for allegedly hitting a cyclist who was crossing the street at around 10:10 a.m. Wednesday and fleeing the scene without reporting the accident or calling for help.
The police said footage from a surveillance camera showed a 10-ton truck going through the area around the time of the accident and traced its license plate number to Kawamoto.
After reportedly finding bloodstains on the truck, they brought Kawamoto to Komaki Police Station on Wednesday night for voluntary questioning.
People living in the area said that the stretch of road gets a lot of big vehicles.
"In this area a truck goes through every minute," said Kenji Soga, 67, a security guard at a nearby construction site. "I think the victim was one of the locals. This was so cruel."
Soga said elderly people in the area often cross the street on bicycle when heading to nearby fields and rice paddies.
"I saw the smashed bicycle. It was scary," said a woman from Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, who was driving through the area.