THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
May 19, 2025 at 16:02 JST
SAITAMA–Police have arrested two foreign men in connection with a hit-and-run accident in Saitama Prefecture that left four schoolboys injured.
The men are suspected of having been under the influence at the time of the incident.
Deng Hongpeng, 42, is accused of driving an SUV that struck a group of elementary school students walking home in Misato on May 14.
Deng, a Chinese demolition worker from Misato, fled the scene without offering assistance, according to police.
One of the four boys, all aged 11, sustained a fractured right foot, while the other three suffered minor injuries.
Deng turned himself in on May 18. He reportedly admitted to the collision but said he left the scene because the boys told him they were OK.
Later that same day, police also arrested a 25-year-old Chinese man who was in the passenger seat of the SUV at the time of the accident.
Wang Hongli, also from Misato, allegedly knew Deng was under the influence when he asked for a ride home and got into the vehicle.
Police have not disclosed whether he admitted to or denied the allegations.
Authorities suspect that the two men fled the scene to avoid facing punishment for drunk driving.
Surveillance footage and dashcam videos helped trace the men’s movements to a local restaurant where they had ordered alcohol shortly before the incident.
Dashcam footage from several vehicles captured the moments immediately after the crash, showing the driver stepping out of the SUV to assess the situation before fleeing the scene.
The vehicle was found the following day approximately two kilometers from the crash site.
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An SUV allegedly involved in the hit-and-run incident is found on May 15 in Misato, Saitama Prefecture, a day after the crash. (Shun Tsunekawa)
