crime

73-year-old man drives car on train tracks for 1.3 kms

23 Comments

A 73-year-old man drove his car for 1.3 kilometers along train tracks in Osaka on Wednesday night.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 10:30 p.m. Fuji TV reported that the man, identified as Hiromichi Masui, drove his car onto the tracks near Minami-kata Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line in Yodogawa Ward. For the next six minutes, he drove along the tracks for about 1.3 kilometers before finding an exit near Sozenji Station.

Trains were stopped and no one was injured.

Police have arrested Masui on a charge of endangering traffic. He was quoted by police as saying he got lost and wasn't sure where he was as he drove along the tracks.

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23 Comments
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Time for Mr. Masui to hand in his license.

22 ( +22 / -0 )

Well said, "smithinjapan".

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Unsafety driver.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I used to live a ten-second walk from Sozenji Station. Quite a desolate place. On the other side of the tracks is a sewage processing plant. Yum. Didn't know that when the apartment was found for me.

Sozenji is a local stop, but express and limited express trains barrel through there all the time. It's lucky the man wasn't killed.

I'd lay a wager he was drinking at one of the many izakaya near Higashi-Nakajima-Minami-kata Station (or even Juso) and thought he could just sneak home without anyone finding out.

(By the way, I think the ward is actually Higashi-Yodogawa-ku.)

3 ( +3 / -0 )

73 years old driving at 10:30 pm on rail line probably he had a big bottle of Sake after dinner ...

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I know they have to charge him with something, but "endangering traffic" seems like a stretch; he didn't endanger any traffic - I would think trespassing might be a bit better, no?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

He wanted to be a train driver when he grows up.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It is unlikely one would mistake rails for roads for any length of time. What on Earth possessed him to continue along the track? Don't all cars come with "reverse" as standard these days?

73 doesn't qualify as a doddery old fogey these days. He must have been driving with Mr. Shochu.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@A.N. Other

Maybe he "dared" himself. That's why I did it. (Though it was 2am and I was on a mountain bike).

0 ( +1 / -1 )

A very lucky man indeed! Could only imagine the carnage if he had driven into a packed commuter train. This old fella needs to hand in his license before he kills somebody.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@Disillusioned

I doubt there'd have been much "carnage".

Just one squashed 73-year-old.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Must have been his GPS.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I have to say that as 72 -year old even if drunk I would know I was on train tracks! He must have been either as pissed as a (Christmas) pudding or incredibly stupid!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"I was feeling stressed out and wanted to let off some steam."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I thought it was okay as long as you keep saying "choo-choo!" as you go.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

This gentleman will hand in his license only to take procession of one of those electric mobility scooters.....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Railway ties are really bumpy. I guess when his beer finally fell on his lap and he got a cold chill up his spine, he figured he made a wrong turn.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am just glad nobody got hurt.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He couldn't help it. Have you seen traffic on those roads...probably backed up. Where we're going, we don't need roads.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Sounds as if he has a case of dementia. Either way, he has no business driving anymore. Time to buy a bus or train pass

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Mirai, buy a bus? They are pretty expensive, aren't they?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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