South Korean Man, 49, Re-Arrested Over Bentley Crash That Hit Seven Cars and Fled; Says He Was "Being Chased by a Rival Group"
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The Metropolitan Police Department announced on August 4, 2026 that it had re-arrested Ryushi Song, a South Korean national and self-described influencer who also goes by the name Ryushi Hashimoto (49), on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury. He is accused of driving a Bentley into a line of cars stopped at a traffic light on a national highway in Hachioji, Tokyo, at around 7:30 a.m. on March 23 of that year, colliding with seven vehicles and injuring six people. One man in his 30s among the injured suffered a broken neck.
After the crash, Song is said to have abandoned the car and fled, and was later found hiding in an abandoned house after being tracked by a police dog, leading to his arrest on suspicion of trespassing. He was subsequently re-arrested in April on suspicion of hit-and-run, making this his third arrest in connection with the incident. Under questioning, he has reportedly explained, "I thought it couldn't be helped even if I hit a mirror," and "I was being chased by a rival group."
Current status: Whether the case will be referred for prosecution remains unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
This case has seen charges built up in stages from the initial crash through subsequent arrests, and the full picture, including the nature of the "rival group" cited as a motive for fleeing, may become clearer as the investigation continues.