Saitama, Japan— A large freight truck slammed into the rear of another truck that had slowed for congestion on the Kan-Etsu Expressway near Hanazono at 5:20 a.m. Tuesday, killing one driver and injuring two others.
The crash occurred on the outbound lanes near kilometer 64, a section where morning traffic merges from a service area. Police said a 10-ton refrigerated truck carrying vegetables slowed for a queue. A following 12-ton box truck, traveling at around 80 km/h, failed to brake in time and struck it from behind.
The driver of the striking truck, a 49-year-old man from Gunma, was trapped in the cab and pronounced dead at the scene after fire crews cut him free. The driver of the forward truck suffered leg fractures, and a passenger in the rear truck suffered minor injuries. Both were hospitalized.
"I was behind them. The front truck braked, lights on. The rear truck did not slow. The impact pushed both into the guardrail," said a commuter who called 110 and waited for police.
East Nippon Expressway Company closed two lanes for four and a half hours while cranes removed the wreckage. Debris of vegetables and broken pallets covered 100 meters. Traffic backed up 12 kilometers into the morning rush.
The Saitama Prefectural Police Highway Patrol seized tachograph data and dashcam footage. Initial checks show no brake failure. Investigators are examining whether the driver was fatigued or distracted after a night shift.
"Truck rear-end collisions at dawn are common here. Drivers stare ahead, miss slowing traffic after service area merges. Distance is key," a highway patrol officer said at the scene.
Truck collisions account for a quarter of fatal expressway accidents in Japan. The transport ministry has pushed for automatic emergency braking retrofits for heavy trucks, with compliance now at 85 percent.
The expressway operator said it would review signage warning of congestion after the service area.
The road fully reopened at 10:10 a.m. after barrier repairs.
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