An elderly former taxi driver died on Tuesday after making a U-turn on an expressway and colliding with two oncoming vehicles, police said.

Investigators suspect that the man, 75-year-old Shosuke Hara, made a U-turn after noticing that he had passed an exit.

At about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a mini van driven by Hara suddenly made a U-turn on Tokyo-bound lanes of the Chuo Expressway near the Hachioji Toll Gate, police said.

After traveling in the wrong direction for some 600 meters, the vehicle collided head-on with two oncoming vehicles before coming to a halt. Hara died shortly afterwards from massive injuries he sustained to his whole body.

Noting that Hachioji Interchange is situated before the toll gate, police said they suspect that Hara noticed that he had passed the exit and made a U-turn. Hara previously worked as a taxi driver. (Mainichi)

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