18-year-old motorcyclist arrested for attempted murder after traffic altercation

KANAGAWA

Police in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, have arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he beat a 53-year-old man following a traffic altercation.

According to police, the suspect, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was riding a motorbike in Zama at around 11:45 p.m. on Feb 6, when he was apparently rebuked for ignoring a red light by the victim, Tsuyohisa Atsumi, who was also riding a motorbike, Sankei Shimbun reported. The two stopped their bikes and a loud argument ensued, according to a nearby resident.

Police said the suspect yanked the victim’s helmet off his head and beat him with it. He then rode away on his bike. A local resident called 110. Atsumi was taken to hospital where he remains in a coma, police said.

The suspect was arrested on Friday after his motorbike was identified by street surveillance camera footage.