10 drivers to be charged over 'most expensive car crash'

Aftermath of chain-reaction smash in December 2011 Police in Japan said Monday they want to charge 10 drivers over a $4 million, multi-car pileup involving eight Ferraris, one Lamborghini and a Mercedes-Benz, AFP has reported. The chain-reaction smash in December 2011 occurred when a convoy of expensive sports cars were on a freeway in Shimonoseki in western Japan, said Yamaguchi prefectural police official Shinji Tanaka.
The driver of the lead Ferrari lost control of his luxury ride and those behind the wheels of nine supercars and three other vehicles failed to apply their brakes in time.
The Sports Nippon newspaper said around $4 million worth of damage was done. Media reports at the time branded it "the world's most expensive car crash".
Police sent the case against a 61-year-old man and nine others to prosecutors last Thursday on suspicion of violating traffic laws.
The final decision on whether to charge the drivers rests with prosecutors.
Police say 10 drivers, aged between 38 and 61, were exceeding the speed limit or not paying enough attention to the road, Tanaka said.
"It's rare to see a chain-reaction accident like this involving expensive cars," said Tanaka.
"Some of the drivers told us they didn't really know the specifications of their cars or just how powerful their acceleration was."
The drivers were on their way to a supercar event in Hiroshima.