Four injured after car plows into spectators at drift event in Saga Prefecture

Japan Times -- Nov 13

A car plunged into a crowd of spectators at a drift event in Saga Prefecture on Sunday, leaving four men injured, including one in critical condition, police said.

A man in his 40s was unconscious after suffering a traumatic brain injury and another man in his 20s had a broken jaw, while the driver in his 20s hurt his neck and a man in his 30s in the passenger seat sustained a chest injury. About 100 people were gathered in the ski resort parking lot in Fuji town when the accident happened. The police are investigating whether proper safety measures were in place for the event , which was organized by local auto sales and repair company Carpit Morinaga. Junpei Morinaga, president of the company, said he felt a sense of responsibility and never thought such an accident could occur. The injured spectators lived in Saga Prefecture and the two men in the car came from Nagasaki Prefecture. A total of 66 vehicles took part in the event showcasing rear sliding driving techniques. Japan is the birthplace of drifting as a sport.

Nov 13 (ANNnewsCH) - 「ドリフト走行」のイベント会場で車が見物客に突っ込んで1人が重体となっている事故で、主催者が取材に応じ、車と見物客の間には「花壇だけしかなかった」と語りました。