SAITAMA–A 16-year-old student without a driver’s license crashed into a school vehicle on the sports field of his high school here, killing his 17-year-old friend who was in the front passenger seat.

The driver and a third 17-year-old student in the back seat were not injured.

The three boys are second year students at Saitama Sakae High School.

Authorities received a 911 call at 11:40 pm on November 16, reporting that a student was unconscious after a vehicle overturned on its passenger side.

The driver lost control after the car’s right wheels hit the high ground in the field just before the crash, according to police.

The car, which had no license plate, is owned by the school. It was apparently used to drag rollers and rakes for field maintenance.

Authorities are questioning the driver, who could be charged with dangerous driving causing death.

The two students told the police that they had been driving for about half an hour in the field when the accident happened.

(This article was written by Satomi Sugihara and Shun Tsunekawa.)