50-year-old woman killed by drunk driver in Gunma

Find out where he was drinking and close the place down as well, or at least strip them of their liquor license for a year. All these laws are put into place to try and prevent drunk driving but none are being enforced until after the fact. Instead a poor 50-year-old woman who was doing nothing but abiding by the law is dead because of a scum-bag 26-year-old who thought he could drive home after his enkai.

@smithinjapan: no need to punish the shop unless you can prove they plied him with drinks knowing he was going to drive after.

Shops don't ask every customer who walks in if they are driving; no one likes to be asked that. shops need customers for their survival; they can't alienate them with impractical rules. in the US, I don't know of one person who likes being asked for an ID evey time they want to buy alcohol. And when shop staff do refuse to give free parking coupons to customers who have been drinking, the customers often tell lies like their friend who is outside will drive, or the daiko service will take the car out, etc.

You can't expect shops to police people; you have the legal system and the cops for that, and even they are doing a bang up job. shutting down the shop is not going to solve a problem that has existed since the invention of the motor vehicle, and that is pervasive all over the world.

Would you shut down the manufacturer of the car which caused this death? or the beverage company which made the liquor he drank that ultimately caused the accident?

@ahemmm in the USA it is the respiratory of the establishment to not get people trashed or let them drive home. Yes often they can claim denailbty. BUT many of these guys are reuglarsr and these shop owners KNOW they drive home. I have seen guys at ramen shops order beers with their car keys sitting on the table. The waiter didn't say, hey want me to call you a daiko?

In japan speed limits are lower than the USA and the UK. BUT per capita Japan still has a higher drinking related fatality rate!

there's a shocker: drunk driver kills woman. At least it's news. In America it's an accepted everyday fact.

Turn off traffic signals past midnight. Not saying this would have prevented the accident. Just annoying to stop at lights when nobody is around at night.

26 years old?? Sounds old enough to get the death penalty!!! RIP poor innocent 50 year old woman. As for this drunk selfish bastard, burn in hell!!! Oops! For all of eternity!!!!!!!!!!!

As Smith says, also arrest the owners of the crappy place where this 26 year old loser was drinking and close that crappy place down ASAP !!!!

There is no doubt that the driver has done wrong. However, making emotional knee-jerk reactions over a brief summary of events in the form of news article and screaming about shutting down "the place where he was drinking" are ridiculous. For all you guys know, the staff could've asked him several times if he intended to drive, or offered him a daiko service, etc. He could've lied to them. It's not like they're able to beat the truth out of customers or predict the future. Unless he was dancing the macarena on top of the bar with a necktie on his head and singing, "I'm going to get drunk and drive home!" any sensible person will realize that the bar owners are not responsible.

Don't think you're over-reacting? No? Scroll back up and read the article again, then please point out where any mention of a drinking establishment is made. Don't worry, I'll wait.

He could've been drinking at home then gone out for a snack for all we know. There are numerous possible scenarios.

Find out where he was drinking and close the place down as well, or at least strip them of their liquor license for a year.

Dumbest thing I have ever seen your write Smith. For all you know he picked up a six pack at the conbini, sat in the park and drank. Why would you hold anyone except the driver responsible? You make all kinds of comments about teacher's always being held responsible for their students and then you turn around and try and put the blame of a drunk driver on the place that sold him alcohol? Doesn't compute.

Take the bus, taxi, daiko or train if you can home. Even better, there are lots of Japanese who don't drink who could drive you home like your wife if she or he has a license. As for myself, I always park my car or bike when I've had my fill and walk the twenty minutes breathing fresh air. I used to be a dumb 26 year old drinking driver but not anymore.

Just for your information, FYI?? Here in Japan, it is a 300,000 YEN fine PER PERSON in a car, being DRIVEN by a drunk! So, say your idiot friend gets drunk, says he is cool, and you idiot friend get STOPPED by a Japanese cop, that will be 600,000 YEN fine, for the drunk driver and FOR YOU, for ALLOWING that idiot drunk to be BEHIND THE WHEEL. A few years ago, 4 Japanese drunk fools in Hachioji were stopped, all in 1 car, so just do the MATH!! Yup! 1 MILLION 200,000 YEN!! If you do not know what this is in your country's currency, just look it up on GOOGLE!! Please do not drink and drive and do not let others drink and drive, or they may end up killing others, themselves, etc..not just the money!

Just for your information, FYI?? Here in Japan, it is a 300,000 YEN fine PER PERSO...

We're all well-aware of the consequences of and Japanese laws regarding getting behind the wheel drunk. No one here is advocating drunk driving, your preachy PSA is not required.

Cornball, why did he have to take out an innocent woman? He should have been the one to lose his life, not her! :-/

RIP

And stop being that person who compares the Japan to U.S. every time. How does this incident represent what 130 million people do?

My deepest sympathy to the family of Tsuneko. I lost my first wife to a teenage drunk driver and I know the pain. I sincerely hope the police keep their promise to prosecute.

My deepest sympathy to the family of Tsuneko. I lost my first wife to a teenage drunk driver and I know the pain. I sincerely hope the police keep their promise to prosecute.

Right on. It's depressing on both sides. If only the suspect would've dropped some pocket change on a taxi or stayed at home, both he and the victim would probably be looking at a nice relaxing Sunday. Her enjoying time with her family and/or friends or watching the latest NHK drama, and the young guy looking forward to his latest date, or promotion, or tech gadget, or whatever he was into. Stereotypes, of course. ;-)

Instead, an innocent victim is in the morgue and he's looking at 15+ years. Not to mention the families on both sides who have to deal with this mess. It's a real shame. We all know how strict Japanese drink-driving laws are... over the limit equals 100% fault. Causing death by drunk driving, the guy himself might as well have died in this mess, because his life is also pretty much over. The prosecutors will nail him and the victim's family have to deal with the fallout. His life is also done for. The victim was sitting at a traffic light and then BANG. It's a sad story all around.

What a shame.

jaseinspace1

there's a shocker: drunk driver kills woman. At least it's news

I hope you haven't been duped into thinking all fatal accidents are reported in the news.

The poor woman.

My condolence to the victim's family.

I hope the guy pays his dues to the fullest once he recovers.

*If the dude drank at a restaurant or anywhere serving alcohol, the owner is punished if he/she knew the dude was driving. He/she loses his/her driver's license for two years. They keep their liquor license.

Forgot to add, liquor owners can also go to jail or pay a fine if they knowingly served alcohol to a driver.

@Patric Spohn

i disagree when it is red , spikes should come out of the road to stop people going through red