NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- An 85-year-old driver was arrested Saturday on suspicion of fatally hitting a man and a woman at an intersection while driving a minibus in central Japan and fleeing the scene the previous day, police said.

The accident involving the minibus driven by Teruya Sakai in Nagoya's Minami Ward at around 5:35 p.m. Friday left Yuki Oishi, 36, and Arata Tanaka, 35, dead. Sakai admitted to the charge, according to the police.

Sakai has worked as a part-time driver at a swimming club, driving five days a week for about three years. He also used to drive a larger bus, but was assigned only a minibus after the club operator learned about a year ago that he frequently had to make multiple attempts to park.

At the time of the accident, the minibus was carrying no passengers and came to a stop about 350 meters from the intersection.

Frequent traffic accidents involving elderly drivers have drawn attention as the country's population ages. In response, police are calling on elderly people, especially those whose driving ability has declined, to voluntarily surrender their driver's licenses.