A driver whose vehicle killed a pedestrian and injured others in one of Osaka's busiest districts on Thursday may have suffered a fatal aortic dissection just beforehand, the daily Asahi Shimbun quoted investigators as saying on the day.
According to the report, investigative sources received the information from rescuers who brought the driver, 51-year-old company owner Atsushi Ohashi, to a hospital soon after the accident. They said he had symptoms of aortic dissection, which often causes sudden death.
On Thursday, Ohashi's car drove onto a sidewalk and plowed into pedestrians. The black car was seen hitting several people crossing a street before driving onto the sidewalk in front of a complex of hotels and shops on the north side of JR West Osaka Station in Kita Ward.