No abnormalities were found with the accelerator or brake pedals of a car involved in a fatal crash last month in a major Tokyo district, investigative sources said Tuesday.
Although the driver, 87-year-old Kozo Iizuka, claimed the gas pedal became stuck as he drove through the capital's busy Ikebukuro district, police believe it is most likely he depressed the accelerator instead of the brake.
The crash, which occurred around noon on April 19, killed a 3-year-old girl and her mother after Iizuka's car hurtled for about 150 meters, struck a guardrail, plowed through crossings and hit a garbage truck.
The accident also injured eight others. The police conducted a vehicle inspection at the end of April with Iizuka's family present, using the same model and year as his car, the sources said.
They said parts of his car were transferred to the test model, as it was too damaged for testing.
Iizuka, a former senior government official, and his wife, who is also in her 80s, sustained broken bones.
The police have said they will question him after he has recovered from his injuries.