Photo/Illutration The charred express bus is seen on the Nagoya Expressway's Komaki Route on Aug. 22 after overturning and bursting into flames earlier that day. (Tadashi Mizowaki)

NAGOYA--Aichi prefectural police searched an office of bus company Aoi Kotsu on Aug. 23 on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in deaths and injuries, a day after a deadly bus accident killed two people and injured seven others. 

An Aoi Kotsu express bus en route to Nagoya Airport burst into flames after overturning on the Nagoya Expressway's Komaki Route at around 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 22. 

On Aug. 23 just after 9 a.m., officers entered Aoi Kotsu's Noguchi office in Aichi Prefecture, which manages the operation of the bus involved in the fiery crash. The company is based in Komaki in the prefecture.

Officers suspect that the driver of the bus could have driven the vehicle inappropriately, resulting in the deaths and injuries of passengers.

They will confiscate and study documents, including daily driving logs, which could provide information on the driver.

Hidenori Matsuura, president of Aoi Kotsu, and other senior company officials held a news conference at the company's headquarters in Komaki on the morning of Aug. 23.  

“We sincerely apologize to those who were injured (in the accident),” the company officials said, adding, “We will do our best to sincerely address this issue and prevent a recurrence.”

They identified the missing driver as Yoshihiko Ohashi, 55, and praised him, saying he "doesn't miss work without permission and is willing to take on unexpected work duties."

The express bus, which was heading to Nagoya Airport in Toyoyama in the prefecture, crossed back to a main lane of the expressway at the Toyoyama Minami Interchange after running on a lane leading to an expressway exit, according to sources.

Prefectural police believe that the bus crashed into a crash cushion placed before a concrete divider between the main lane and a lane leading to the exit. 

Another car also caught fire after crashing into the overturned bus.

Police haven’t found any visible brake marks around the accident site. A witness reported that the bus was swerving just prior to the accident.

Prefectural police hope to identify the cause of the accident by interviewing surviving passengers and witnesses and collecting information from dashcams mounted on other vehicles that were passing the site at the time of the accident.

According to prefectural police, two of the eight people aboard the bus were killed.

Police are trying to quickly identify the deceased as they have not been able to contact the driver.

Another six passengers and the driver of the car that crashed into the bus sustained minor injuries.

Aoki Kotsu officials have said that the Ohashi has mostly driven buses shuttling to the airport after joining the company in 2019.

There was nothing that stood out about Ohashi at a roll call before driving on the day of the accident, according to the officials.

Matsuura has said that there was "nothing wrong" with the driver's health on the day of the accident.



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