A Filipina company employee was confirmed dead after being struck in a hit-and-run incident in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward, marking the first fatality in a crash that later claimed another life and injured several others.
Authorities said Gladys Grace Rotaquio Testado, 28, was crossing the street around 12:30 p.m. on Monday when a stolen vehicle slammed into her. She was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
Police determined she was the initial target of the speeding car, which continued forward and hit four more pedestrians on a nearby sidewalk before causing a collision with a truck. The incident also killed 81-year-old Kenji Sugimoto and left nine others—from teenagers to elderly individuals—injured.
Eyewitness accounts and video footage reviewed by investigators indicate the vehicle did not appear to slow before striking Testado, and officers found no visible brake marks at the scene.
A 37-year-old man believed to have been behind the wheel has been arrested on suspicion of stealing the vehicle. Tokyo police said they are evaluating his ability to take criminal responsibility as they consider filing additional charges, including hit-and-run and dangerous driving resulting in death or injury.
