A minivehicle driven by a 97-year-old man hit a woman and rammed into three cars in the northeastern Japan city of Fukushima on Saturday afternoon, killing the pedestrian and injuring four other women, police said.

Police on Sunday arrested Kuniyoshi Namishio on suspicion of fatally hitting the woman on a sidewalk in the city. The police declined to reveal whether the man has admitted to the charge.

According to the police, Namishio ran into Hitomi Kawamura, 42, before crashing into three other vehicles waiting at a traffic signal around 4:45 p.m. Kawamura was pronounced dead at a hospital.

All four women in the other vehicles -- in their 20s, 70s, 80s and 100s -- sustained minor injuries, the police said, adding Namishio suffered a head injury.

The accident took place on a straight stretch of a two-lane road. Namishio's vehicle collided with the three other cars as he tried to return to the road after running onto the sidewalk.

The number of traffic accidents involving elderly drivers has been on the increase against the backdrop of Japan's rapidly graying society.

According to the police, the man's car ran dozens of meters on a sidewalk with no signs of the brakes having been applied. When he last renewed his driver's license, he did not show any problems on dementia tests.

The government is urging the elderly to return their driver's licenses voluntarily if they feel unsure about their physical ability. People aged 70 or older are also required to attend special lectures about safe driving when they renew their licenses and in certain circumstances those aged 75 or older must undertake dementia tests.

But it is usually difficult for the elderly to live without a car in rural areas, with alternatives such as public transportation or taxis not easily available for shopping or visiting clinics or hospitals.