Japan Bus Driver with Crash History Arrested in Fatal Student Accident

A 68-year-old bus driver, Tetsuo Wakayama, faces negligent driving charges after a minibus he was operating crashed into a guardrail on Fukushima’s Banetsu Expressway, killing a 17-year-old high school tennis player from Niigata and injuring 20 others, including himself.

The Wednesday morning wreck involved a vehicle carrying the boys’ tennis team; Wakayama admitted to investigators he “misjudged the speed” while driving 90-100 km/h in an 80 km/h zone, with no skid marks or dashboard camera found at the scene.

Prior Accidents and Licensing Issues

An investigative source revealed Wakayama had multiple traffic incidents earlier this year. He lacked the required commercial passenger license and had worked as a municipal bus driver in Tainai until March 2025.

Authorities raided operator Kanbara Tetsudo Co. on Friday over potential violations.