Archive · 4 Jan 2026
12-Vehicle Crash in Japan Caused by Tea Leaves
In Japan, a big crash happened with 12 cars.
It started because tea leaves fell from a truck and made the road slippery.
The tea leaves covered a long part of the road, and cars started sliding.
Four people were hurt, and one person sadly died.
The person who died was an older man who got hit by another car after he got out of his truck.
The road was closed for a while so workers could clean up the tea leaves.
The truck was going from one city to another when the accident happened.
The exact time of the crash isn't clear, but someone called the police for help around 5:40 in the morning.
A multi-vehicle crash involving 12 cars occurred in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
Tea leaves spilt from a moving truck covered a 500-meter stretch of the road, causing vehicles to skid.
Four people were injured, with one fatality confirmed: a 78-year-old man from Saitama Prefecture.
The injured individuals' conditions were not life-threatening.
The road was temporarily closed for cleanup using heavy machinery and shovels.
- Who
- 12 vehicles, including a truck carrying tea leaves, and four people (one deceased, three injured)
- What
- A multi-vehicle crash caused by tea leaves spilt from a moving truck
- When
- Around 5:40 a.m. (exact time unclear)
- Where
- Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
- Why
- Tea leaves scattered on the road caused vehicles to skid
- Location
- Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
- Number of Vehicles Involved
- 12
- Fatalities
- 1
- Injuries
- 3 (non-life-threatening)
- Cause
- Tea leaves spilt from a moving truck
- Road Condition
- Wet tea leaves covering 500-meter stretch
- Time of Emergency Call
- Around 5:40 a.m.
- Truck's Origin and Destination
- From Ashikaga to Sano