Head-on collision kills three in Chiba; car catches fire

A head-on collision between a passenger car and a truck occurred at a national highway intersection in Chiba City's Central Ward early on September 29, 2026, at approximately 4:15 a.m. local time. A witness called emergency services after seeing the passenger car engulfed in flames. Firefighters arrived and found the two vehicles had collided; the passenger car was fully ablaze. The fire was extinguished approximately one hour later.

Three occupants of the passenger car were confirmed dead at the scene. According to police, the deceased were passengers in the rear seats and middle seat; their identities were being confirmed. The 19-year-old driver of the passenger car was conscious and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The 57-year-old truck driver, from Sakura City, sustained minor injuries and was also hospitalized.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident. Based on the scene, authorities believe the passenger car, which was traveling southbound on the national highway, veered into the oncoming lane where it collided with the truck. The collision caused the passenger car to catch fire immediately. The intersection is located approximately one kilometer south of JR Soga Station on a divided highway with two lanes per direction and a right-turn dedicated lane.