Woman Arrested in Tokyo Following Reckless High-Speed Wrong-Way Chase from Chiba

On the afternoon of the 9th, a woman driving a passenger car who ignored police negotiations on the Keiyo Road in Chiba City, suddenly accelerated and fled by driving the wrong way on the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway and other routes, was finally apprehended in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and arrested on the spot for violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law.

According to the police and other sources, around 9:30 a.m. on the 9th, a report was received stating that "there is a car obstructing traffic" near the Matsugaoka Interchange (IC) on the inbound Keiyo Road in Chuo Ward, Chiba City. Police officers spent about an hour trying to persuade the woman parked on the road shoulder to move her vehicle, but she refused and suddenly accelerated. She reportedly attempted to escape by crashing into multiple police cars that had surrounded her.

The car then headed toward the Takaya Junction (JCT) and began driving the wrong way on the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway. Because it became a dangerous runaway situation, the police temporarily halted pursuit and heightened vigilance. However, in the afternoon, they spotted the vehicle on a local road in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and apprehended the woman driving it.

Since the woman was carrying a kitchen knife with a blade length of about 15 centimeters inside the car, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested her on the spot on suspicion of violating the Swords and Firearms Control Law. Regarding the long-distance escape stretching from Chiba Prefecture to central Tokyo and the dangerous wrong-way driving spree, social media has been flooded with expressions of shock and fear, such as "It's a huge relief that it didn't turn into a major accident" and "Driving the wrong way on a highway in broad daylight is terrifying." The police are investigating the detailed escape route and motives.

The context

In Japan, incidents involving vehicles driving the wrong way on expressways have become a serious social issue, often leading to fatal accidents. Law enforcement agencies strictly crack down on traffic violations and dangerous driving, while employing coordinated blockades and pursuit strategies. Furthermore, the possession of bladed items like kitchen knives in public without a justifiable reason is strictly prohibited under the Swords and Firearms Control Law, adding a serious criminal charge to suspects involved in violent or erratic confrontations with authorities.