A minitruck hit several children at Wakayanagi Elementary School in the city of Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture, on Thursday, injuring four, NHK reported.
Two boys and two girls were injured but were conscious after the incident, according to the city's board of education. The students were transported to hospitals in the cities of Osaki and Kurihara by ambulance.
Police arrested Akihito Onodera, the 34-year-old suspected driver who lives nearby the scene, on suspicion of attempted murder.
“There’s no mistake that I hit people with the car,” he told police during investigations, according to NHK.
The school reported to the local fire department just before 3:30 p.m. on Thursday that “a car entered the school grounds and children were hit.”
A briefing was held at the school for parents at around 8 p.m. following the incident, however some parents told NHK that they’d like to see better protections at schools to prevent outsiders from entering the premises.