Motorcyclist dies in Shimanto Town crash on National Route 381

A 75-year-old company executive from Ehime Prefecture died after a motorcycle accident on a national highway in Shimanto Town, Kochi Prefecture, on October 3rd. He was transported to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries about an hour later. The accident occurred around 2:15 p.m. on National Route 381 in Kamioka, Shimanto Town. Hidekazu Ono was riding alone toward the Showa area when he fell. A nearby resident reported the incident, and Ono suffered severe chest injuries. The site was a straight, one-lane road with good visibility beyond a curve, and police are investigating the cause. This death brings the prefecture's traffic fatalities to 23 this year, the worst pace in a decade.