crime

16-year-old motorbike rider killed after being rear-ended by car

24 Comments

A 16-year-old boy riding a motorbike was killed after he was rear-ended by a car driven by a friend in Kobe on Wednesday morning.

According to police, the incident occurred in Kita Ward at around 1:30 a.m. Sankei quoted police as saying that Yasuhiro Sanada was riding a motorbike when he was hit from behind by a car driven by his friend, Toshiyuki Kitada, a 20-year-old company employee.

Police have arrested Kitada for reckless driving resulting in death.

Kitada was quoted by police as saying that he and three friends, as well as Sanada were joyriding on their way to a dam in nearby Miki City. He told police that he was following Sanada when for some reason, Sanada braked suddenly, and he was unable to avoid rear-ending him.

Sanada was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

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24 Comments
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Skylarking claims another victim.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Helmet worn properly? I doubt it.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Unfortunately this is classic Japanese driving. I cant count the number of times drivers in this country slam on their brakes and come to a complete stop on roads and highways. If he was doing it to be a d**k then he is the author of his own misfortune. People dead stop all the time just to be jerks just to cause panic (classic yankee, yakuza, bosozoku driving). Even being two or three car lengths behind isnt enough distance to prevent you from hitting the person in front. If Sanada had survived, he should be charged with intent to injure. Hey coppers get your crap together.

-11 ( +5 / -16 )

Sad story. Untimely death. Following to closely to any vehicle is risky, make it a motorbike and it's stupid. As a motorcyclist myself I have gestured to back off numerous times. Rear end a car, likely no injuries, rear end a motorbike serious injury is very possible and probable.

Even if the boy was clowning around, it takes two to play. Cars can be dangerous when reckessly used and all drivers know that.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Sad for his death, but I have a few concerns about this whole story.

16 year old boy riding a bike at 1:30 am. What about school? I imagine that it was still during the Golden Week holiday for Wednesday, but still parents allow a minor out that late. Why would a group of people be going to a dam at 1:30 am? To beat the parking for the next days recreation spot? Still too early to be going to a place that is probably locked down for the night. 20 year old hanging out with a 16 year old? Either the 16 year old was rolling with the wrong crowd, or the 20 year old needs to grow up.

Overall, a sad ending to a young life. I hope that all who were at the scene took away some valuble life lessons from this incident.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

I ride a motorcycle almost exclusively. There have been times when I have been tailgated so badly by some idiot I just slowly stop my bike in the middle of the road get off and tell the guy to go around me. They are embarrassed and not too happy about it. But I can not stand it. They are taking my life into their hands. If they rear-end me it is a tiny bump in their bumper but I am more than likely dead.

14 ( +15 / -1 )

Robert

Wouldn't it be easier just to slow down, put on you're hazards and move over to let them pass? Then again, maybe they will learn a lesson. Anyway, I share your frustration with ass riders. I wish I had a 007 switch for the extreme cases.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

@ Robert - Same here. They tailgate us too often here. I have done the very same thing that you did. Stopped in the middle of the road!! I have had that done to me so many times, even when the rain is falling really hard. Can't stand that nonsense!

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Exactly why I gave up riding my motorbike. seen too many silly accidents not caused by the motorcyclist

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It's obvious that a motorbike is prone to accidents when being rear-ended by a car on the road. I'm always worried that my younger son who is a motorbike rider would be invloved in traffic accidents.

May he rest in peace.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

"He told police that he was following Sanada when for some reason, Sanada braked suddenly, and he was unable to avoid rear-ending him."

The issue isn't that Sanada braked suddenly, the problem is you were driving recklessly. If you're as far back from the motorbike as you're supposed to be, and not joyriding, the friend would probably still be alive today.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

joyriding, reckless driving, 20yrs old, now adult in Japan, equals a lot of rice and mizo soup at such a young age.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

A 20 year old company employee hanging out with 16 year old "high schoolers"?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So. Young people doing crazy things. Sadly it cost him his life

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

16yr old means he was riding a 50cc Scooter.

Hardly a reckless Bozosoku but most likely very limited riding experience. Being rear-ended is a bad way too go.

RIP, young rider.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The issue isn't that Sanada braked suddenly, the problem is you were driving recklessly.

Both were driving recklessly, one died, one is in deep shit. If somehow the car driver died, what would be the outcry? Ban the bike one assumes. Inexperienced kids playing adult drivers.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

People dead stop all the time just to be jerks just to cause panic (classic yankee, yakuza, bosozoku driving).

If you weren't tailgating them, there would be no panic braking. (See below)

Even being two or three car lengths behind isnt enough distance to prevent you from hitting the person in front.

That statement could be true or false depending on how fast you were going. In driver's education, we were taught to keep 1 car length of space for every 10 mph (16 kph) of speed. The idea was that that much space would allow you time to react to sudden braking by the vehicle in front of you. Toshiyuki was too close to the bike to react in time at the speed they were traveling and so Toshiyuki is at fault - for both the accident AND the death. In the case of accidents involving a rear-end collision, the following driver is ALWAYS at fault because it is their responsibility to follow at a safe distance. "A safe distance" means, "a distance that allows you to react to sudden actions by the driver in front." Toshiyuki failed in this regard.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Tragic accident!

But nothing was said about the kid driving illegally. Isn't the driving age 18?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

But nothing was said about the kid driving illegally. Isn't the driving age 18?

What bearing would the presence or absence of a piece of paper in the wallet have on the accident? Without knowing why the motor bike rider suddenly stopped, we can't begin to fully evaluate what factors contributed to the accident.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That statement could be true or false depending on how fast you were going. In driver's education, we were taught to keep 1 car length of space for every 10 mph (16 kph) of speed.

The "two-second" rule also works, too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Fadamor,

If a deer runs in front of your car or something similar occurred I can understand sudden breaking but sorry people slam on the breaks all the time and come to a dead stop on roads and highways all the time. That should be illegal and considered intent to injure. I dont tailgate but people always tailgate me in Japan. I would never slam on the breaks on a road with cars behind, thats is absolute stupidity. Move over or wave your hand in the rearview mirror gesturing move back. Trying to tell me that it is ok to slam your breaks and cause an accident 'intentionally' is ridiculous. Idiot drivers all over Jland committing these dangerous acts and the coppers dont do a thing. I had a Yankee bimbo in a BMW come up behind me doing at least 160 on the Nagoya Ring, but when I signalled to change lanes (Japanese dont like to signal) he also changed suddenly and then swerved back in front of me about a metre from my front end. I hit the horn and he stopped dead in front of me on the Ring. This is quite common here. So if I hit him, Id be the one getting charged??? gimme a break. Reckless driving and intent to injure on his part Id say.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

By the way, there is a semi-safe solution to this. If you ride a motorcycle, please do what I do. Never stop directly behind a car or in the middle of a lane. Always, Always stop at the light to the very left on the road or between two stopped cars. We had two motorcyclists run over right in front of our building about ten years ago. A young mother turned around to give her baby her bottle and did not notice the red light. She ran over the two guys at the same time who were stopped at the light. They might have made it if they had been stopped all the way over to the left. Anyway, please be safe out there on your motorcycles and scooters.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If a deer runs in front of your car or something similar occurred I can understand sudden breaking but sorry people slam on the breaks all the time and come to a dead stop on roads and highways all the time.

Yes, they do. But you cannot tell us why this particular bike rider stopped where he did. You can only ASSUME why and we all know what happens when you ASSUME something. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfvTwv5o1Qs

I dont tailgate but people always tailgate me in Japan. I would never slam on the breaks on a road with cars behind, thats is absolute stupidity. Move over or wave your hand in the rearview mirror gesturing move back. Trying to tell me that it is ok to slam your breaks and cause an accident 'intentionally' is ridiculous. Idiot drivers all over Jland committing these dangerous acts and the coppers dont do a thing. I had a Yankee bimbo in a BMW come up behind me doing at least 160 on the Nagoya Ring, but when I signalled to change lanes (Japanese dont like to signal) he also changed suddenly and then swerved back in front of me about a metre from my front end.

OK, so far it's a lot about "you"... but I'm following so far...

I hit the horn and he stopped dead in front of me on the Ring. This is quite common here. So if I hit him, Id be the one getting charged??? gimme a break. Reckless driving and intent to injure on his part Id say.

BZZZZT! Instead of GIVING you a break, you should have been USING your brakes. Epic Fail on your part. Why are you leaning on the horn instead of slowing down to restore the safe distance you are REQUIRED as the "following driver" to maintain? Yes, if you hit him you would get charged... AND convicted. Aggressive driving on his part does not justify road rage on your part.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Fadamor,

I did break and then came to a complete stop as I would have hit him. You are actually condoning this drivers actions? A horn is a safety feature on a car so hitting it doesnt mean you have road rage. Try to be a bit more logical.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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