‘Substitute’ drunk driver arrested after car crash

KANAZAWA, Ishikawa — Police in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, have arrested a 23-year-old man for allowing a friend to drive, knowing that he was drunk, and then lying to police that he was the driver, after the car was involved in an accident.

According to police, the incident occurred in Kanazawa City at around 3 a.m. on Feb 11, Kyodo News reported. The 23-year-old man and his 23-year-old friend, who are both from Toyama City, were driving along when they collided with another vehicle.

The man who was in the front passenger seat at the time of the accident, switched seats with his companion who was drunk, police have learned.

Police arrested the substitute driver on the spot on suspicion of drunk driving, but a subsequent analysis of dashcam footage revealed that he was not driving the car, and he was released approximately 70 minutes later.

Police said the man who pretended to be the driver has been re-arrested on suspicion of providing false information and covering up a crime. His companion who was actually driving has been arrested on suspicion of violation of the Road Traffic Act.

No one was seriously injured in the accident, police said.

© Japan Today