Overview
- An emergency call was made around 5:40 a.m. on Jan. 4 after vehicles began skidding on the slick surface, according to police.
- At least 11 vehicles collided on the two-lane National Route 50 in Tochigi Prefecture.
- Four people were taken to hospital, and a 78-year-old man from Saitama later died after exiting his truck and being struck by an oncoming vehicle.
- The truck carrying the tea leaves was traveling east from Ashikaga toward Sano when the cargo spilled over roughly 500 meters.
- The road was temporarily closed for cleanup as crews removed wet leaves stuck to the pavement, and the exact crash timing remains under review.