Young boy killed, 11 injured in Japan's truck accident

TOKYO - One boy was killed and 11 others including eight other elementary school children were injured Friday when a pickup truck plowed into them following a collision on a road as the children were walking to their school in Yokohama, south of Tokyo.

According to the local fire department, the accident, which occurred at 8:10 am local time and killed a 6-year old boy, involved a pickup truck tipping over and hitting the children after a collision with two other vehicles.

Japan's public broadcaster NHK said that eight elementary school children were injured in the accident along with three others, some of whom were drivers or passengers of the vehicles in the crash.

Local police said they intend to arrest the 87-year-old driver of the truck, on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and injuries, local media said. The truck struck both a passenger car and a bus, before plowing into the group of children.

Nine elementary school pupils were immediately rushed to a local hospital, but the 6-year-old boy was pronounced dead on arrival, according to local rescue officials. Eleven others sustained injuries, they said.

The accident happened on a relatively busy, yet narrow street in a residential area in Yokohama close to the Kamiooka metro station and a small shopping district.