81-yr-old man held after his car drags 72-yr-old woman to death in Fukuoka

Wednesday 10th December, 11:17 AM JST

FUKUOKA —

Police on Tuesday arrested a 81-year-old man for hitting a 72-year-old woman with his car and dragging her to her death in Onojo City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

According to police, Hironobu Kano was driving out of the car park of a sports club around 5:45 p.m. when he hit Kazuko Tara. He dragged her for about 370 meters. Another driver told him to pull over after seeing the woman being dragged along. Police said the victim died almost immediately due to severe head injuries.

Kano fled the scene, but was picked up by police shortly afterwards. He was quoted by police as saying, “I felt I hit something, but I didn’t think it was a human.”

Wire reports

Latest 15 of 26 Total Comments Show All

Patrick Smash at 12:18 PM JST - 10th December

They need to put a sign up on the subway lines telling people not to do this like they did with girlies and make up. It works a treat, and morally educates across the age divide.
chinpira at 12:22 PM JST - 10th December

Betting: Japanese seem to have a penchant for running away from accidents they cause. I think it was Goro from Smap did it, a couple of baseball players have done it as well as numerous citizens.

Probably because even if it's not your fault as the driver you're very likely to be charged. Of course this is no excuse for running away from an incident with which you could try and help the person who you've just hit.... panic is probably the biggest contributor.
BlackFlag at 12:36 PM JST - 10th December

he should not be driving a car at 81 years old, just not safe for anybody. the local councils should reinstate free bus passes for pensioners, his children if he has any should not allow him to drive. yearly health check/eye test/driving test for over 65's. stop at 75.
Himajin at 12:51 PM JST - 10th December

I'd think that perhaps clothing might get caught on something.

They really need more stringent testing for elderly drivers. My MIL has Alzheimer's and she was still driving when diagnosed. We quickly found out that no one has the authority to take her license away. Really. In the US doctors must report a diagnosis of dementia to the DMV...I thought perhaps that there were similar laws, but no. I'd seen the numerous news reports of testing for dementia when the elderly go for licenses, but it turned out to be just a feel-good move by the government. They can test for and detect dementia , but do not have the right to take away a license.

MIL spent thousands of dollars over the last three years of driving repairing her car...she'd back into telephone poles at the supermarket, scrape down one whole side entering or leaving her own yard, and one time she turned the wheel too suddenly leaving her carport and took off half her own front bumper and drove to her doctor's appointment that way without realizing it. We finally took her keys away two years ago October when she tried to get out of her street before someone else turned in....both were making right turns but she managed to mangle the left front of the other person's car, she drove diagonally and tried to cut him off to get out faster. She also was forbidden to drive at that time because of a cast on her left foot, which showed us she is incapable of following instructions and was defiant. We took the keys away that day.

Trouble was her license was still valid. In April she was due to renew, I called the Akashi license center to give them a heads-up about the dementia and expected to be told that they would prevent her from applying. I was told it was a constitutional right for her to have a license and they are not authorized to take one away if no crime has been committed (drunk driving etc) They told me that she'd have to go to a different center because of her age (82). I called there and got the same story. 'Oh yes, we test for dementia, but all we can do is counsel them not to drive' Like someone with dementia is going to listen to reason! She got her license!! I couldn't believe it. Stage IV Alzheimer's , she can't tell a taxi driver where her house is coming home from an onsen 700 meters from here but she can legally drive. It's insane. I took it up with them when I went to get my license this year, I talked to a couple of cops in Akashi for an hour or so about how the new dementia testing law needs teeth. But, driving is such a touchy matter no one wants to bell the cat. I wish the police of the medical association would step up to the plate. MIL fought us for two years first because no doctor told her she could not drive, and secondly, they renewed her license! That was 'proof' to her that we were taking her car away out of spite.

It's cowardly to leave it up to the families of dementia patients to stop them from driving. Everybody can see that these people aren't capable, but no one wants to take the responsibility.
Larry at 01:10 PM JST - 10th December

smartacus: Usually under the car.

Must be very pleasent.
smartacus at 01:17 PM JST - 10th December

Larry

I still can't visualize it. Surely, if a car bumps into someone, it knocks them a few meters away. How you someone get stuck under the car, unless they are run over while lying down.
smithinjapan at 01:45 PM JST - 10th December

'Fled the scene' sounds like he intentionally left in a hurry. Is this the case, or did he just keep driving as usual and not hear the calls to pull over? In either case, since he knew he hit SOMEthing he should have pulled over to check. Poor woman.
khemet at 02:12 PM JST - 10th December

I agree with smartacus, how is it that people keep getting dragged along for the ride? I know someone already explained it but it is still weird. All the other places I been in europe and states, I hear about people getting hit or ran over, those seem like the only 2 options, dragged along is more like if someone is trying to rob someone in a car and the driver rolled the window up and press the gas with robbers arm still in the car. This place never ceases to amaze me. And on a side note like I told my wife, the elderly need to have a mental and reflex test in order to stay out and be behind the wheel. So, if the individual fail the test they need to be walking or taking public transportation (no bicycle) and be in doors by 1630 so the rest of the functional world can get on with our lives.
dennis0bauer at 03:10 PM JST - 10th December

how someone is dragged by a car is not relevant that he hit somet(one)hing and just ignore it is relevant, i would even stop if i might had hit a bird
Himajin at 05:49 PM JST - 10th December

TJ, yes, that is generally a good way to deal with it. With MILs personality, we decided our best bet was just to get rid of the car, while she still remembered the accident. Cold turkey! It wasn't easy nor perhaps the best way but with her defiance it was our best choice, we slept at night.

She had a history many many years pre-dementia of coming to our house at 3am and waking us up if she was ticked about something. She will also defy everyone and smoke in the hospital hallway or an empty patient room (she's in now for diabetes). She completely flouts authority 'Being told not to do something just makes me want to do it more'.

Hijack over :-D
Himajin at 05:53 PM JST - 10th December

But really, until they get their act together about dementia patients and elderly with reflex problems, people will continue to be killed.
BBLeo at 08:00 PM JST - 10th December

In his age he shouldn't be allowed to drive anymore. Japan need to change the law. Yes, he did flee the scene. In his age he will panic did anyone think of that? Most of drivers do that, but bad drivers such as 'Hoons' do try to get away in total. We must understand aged people, not just judge them with our own stupidity of thinking. Law can examine his crime. 'PANIC IS A MOST COMMON ISSUE IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS. LET JUDGE AND JURIES DECIDE HIS FATE.'
billclinton at 11:15 PM JST - 10th December

how did he flee the scene? crutches, rapture, or bionic man style? and what inhuman object did he think he hit? a Japanese father-in-law, or a Tokyo financial adviser, or a general recruitment executive, or any kind of divorce lawyer?
usaexpat at 06:48 AM JST - 11th December

At 81 he was probably too old to be driving. These sorts of things will become more common as the population ages.
Pachinko893 at 02:44 PM JST - 15th December

Old burgers shouldn't be driving.