7-year-old girl killed in hit-and-run in Fukuoka Pref
FUKUOKA —
A 7-year-old girl died after being hit by a truck while crossing a street in Yanagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Tuesday. The truck kept going, witnesses said, according to NTV.
Police said the incident occurred at around 4:40 p.m. The girl, identified as Manaka Koga, was crossing the street at an intersection when she was hit by the truck turning right, NTV reported. The girl was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead about three hours later.
The truck driver, identified as Yuki Fukuyama, 34, a resident of Tamana, Kumamoto Prefecture, was arrested later Tuesday after police tracked his whereabouts from the license plate of his truck, which a witness noted.
Fukuyama was quoted by police as saying he did not know that he had hit someone.
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-6
Disillusioned
He was probably too busy texting or reading the newspaper. Nice Christmas present for her family.
8
Michael Craig
Rest in peace, Manaka-chan.
1
papigiulio
Im not gonna speculate but what a p.o.s. for running. "I didn't know I hit something" my @$$!
-1
nandakandamanda
Whether he did or didn't feel something is in his heart, between him and his life force.
-6
oikawa
I'd actually be inclined to believe him. Few people can actually drive away knowing they've just hit someone, and pedestrians being able to cross and have right of way while cars are turning, especially turning right, has always seemed a stupid rule to me. People come running across from the right just before cars are ready to accelerate away after turning. It's asking for trouble.
-4
Mirai Hayashi
Complete BS! There is no way that you can't know that you hit something. Poor girl has to lose her life over an incompetent driver.
4
smithinjapan
oikawa: "Few people can actually drive away knowing they've just hit someone,"
And you know this how? You hear about hit and runs all the time -- the initial reaction seems to flee, obviously. Fortunately they caught him.
"...and pedestrians being able to cross and have right of way while cars are turning, especially turning right, has always seemed a stupid rule to me."
This is why Japan has so many of these accidents, and in so many places no space for people to walk -- because SOME people seem to think cars have the right of way and are the priority.
0
Mirai Hayashi
Oikawa, you are completely wrong...and precisely that kind of thinking that scares me personally. Drivers are ALWAYS responsible for making sure that their path is clear before moving in any direction. And of course you CAN knowingly hit someone or something and just drive away....that's why its called hit and run and it seems to happen A LOT here.
4
Matthew Simon
Glad someone got the plates
4
Row Bur
Seven y/o Japanese girl likely weighed less than about 30 kgs, a truck driver gearing down for a turn,esp. in a high cab truck could reasonably not realise the impact. Hopefully the truth will out.
-1
Ch1n4Sailor
OMG, so sad.... I really hope she was looking both ways, before crossing, and that she wasn't killed because of this Japanese, "Righteous" Mentality, which is sooooooo prevalent, Where all common-sense goes out the window, for this perpetual state of "Ganko." But she was too innocent to have picked up on any of that yet.
God Rest her soul, Rest in Peace little one...
0
cramp
i sure hope she wasn't walking alone...no 7yr old should be walking alone
0
Elbuda Mexicano
Poor little girl! Only 7 years old! This idiot fool driver has BLOOD on his hands! If this idiot fool driver, of a huge TRUCK, what the hell was he thinking?? Doing?? Driving such a big truck and did not see child walking up to a cross walk?? When I drive around Tokyo, etc...if I see children, I SLOW DOWN, why?? You just never know what little kids will do, run out into the street, chase a ball etc..this idiot driver now has killed a little girl and is trying to BS the police that he did not know that he hit anybody?? Little girl RIP and for this stupid driver, B.I.H., meaning yes Burn In Hell!
-1
oikawa
Mirai Hayashi
I am not "completely wrong". Most people of course could not drive away knowing they'd hit someone. The ones that make the news are ones where people don't stop because they're news. It's got nothing to do with "my way of thinking", it's simply of matter of pragmatics. When you turn right you are looking for a gap in the traffic ahead and a lot of drivers see a small gap and go for it, you have to or else you'll get hit by cars coming in the other direction. Of course that's dangerous but that was precisely my point. The system shouldn't be that you can turn right when it's also green for pedestrians to cross.
Smith
Like I said, we hear about the ones where the driver doesn't stop, yes, but not of the many where the driver does stop because they aren't news. Do you really think most people are heartless bastards?
-2
billyshears
It is entirely possible that a driver of a large truck can hit someone (especially with a rear wheel) and not realize it. Do a google and you'll find plenty of examples (in one case, even when an adult victim was riding a scooter). Of course, (outside of some irrefutable evidence) it is always going to be open to debate whether or not the driver is telling truth. In such a case though, if the driver cannot be proved to have broken any traffic regulations at the time of the accident, it is very difficult for the authorities to bring a successful prosecution.
0
mitoguitarman
It is terrible. And this is the consequence of the irresponsible habit in Japan of ignoring marked pedestrian crossings.
It is the law in Japan, apparently, that motor vehicles must stop and yield to pedestrians at marked crossings. But I've probably had at most 10 vehicles yield to me in my 14 years in this country. Ignoring these marked crossings is going to lead to deaths. And over the years, most pedestrian deaths I read about happen in marked crossings.
The police here seem to only focus on drivers not wearing seat belts, and turn a blind eye to everything else.
The patrol car officers seem to enjoy their free time as they cruise around with their lights flashing.
0
Mirai Hayashi
Sorry...but you've gotta be a completely incompetent or totally oblivious of your surrounding to hit a girl on a bike and not notice. You would be able to hear and feel it. I hope those who think that is impossible don't have a license to drive, because I would be very afraid to be near you.
0
Mark Elrod
He didn't know he hit someone? I wave the B.S. flag! How can you not notice a load thump & bump? I have hit cats before & I notice it. A human being is much larger than a cat. This guy is full of poop!
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