A 14-year-old boy died Tuesday after falling from the back of a small truck driven by another 14-year-old boy in the city of Tottori, police said.
The vehicle apparently hit a curb shortly before dawn, but no other cars were involved in the accident, the police said, adding that the driver and a 15-year-old boy in the passenger seat also sustained scratches and bruises.
The driver is likely to be investigated for driving without a license.
A passer-by called the police about the accident at around 4:10 a.m. The authorities believe the three junior high school students were friends.