CHATAN, Okinawa — A 28-year-old Japanese motorcyclist was injured in a traffic accident Thursday morning on Highway 58 in the Sunabe district of Chatan, just outside Kadena Air Base’s Gate 1.
An Okinawa prefectural police spokesman said a car driven by a 45-year-old Kadena Air Base U.S. civilian employee hit the motorcycle at about 6:30 a.m. The police said the woman driving the car pulled out of the parking lot of a convenience store located across from the air base’s gate.
“The car collided with the motorcycle, which was traveling north in the middle lane,” the spokesman said. The impact sent the 400 cc motorcycle skidding into an Army and Air Force Exchange Service box truck, which was waiting at the traffic light to make a right turn onto the air base, the police said.
The motorcycle came to rest underneath the rear of the truck before catching fire, burning its engine and seat, he said. The fire left visible soot marks up the side of the truck.
The motorcycle driver suffered a fractured right thigh and burns on his face and hands, said the police spokesman.
No injuries were reported to the car driver or the 41-year-old driver of the truck, he said. Police said no charges have been filed or arrests made. The accident cause remains under investigation.
However, in a statement issued Thursday, police said they believe the civilian driver failed to check traffic as she turned left onto the highway.
