Child dies in hospital after being struck by car in Tokyo

Wednesday 03rd December, 10:41 AM JST

TOKYO —

A 19-month-old boy died in hospital Tuesday after being hit by a car in Komae City, police said Wednesday.

Masao Kuriyama, 68, was arrested for negligent driving. According to police, Kuriyama turned left off Setagaya Avenue into a narrow lane and hit the boy at 10.30 a.m. Tuesday. Police said the boy was walking behind a woman entrusted with his care when he was hit by the rear wheel of Kuriyama’s vehicle. He was taken to hospital but confirmed dead an hour later.

Kuriyama was quoted by police as saying: “I never saw the boy, and only realized he was there after I hit him.”

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 52 Total Comments Show All

BBLeo at 05:32 PM JST - 3rd December

Such quote from driver:” I never saw the boy, and only realized he was there after I hit him.”... It is possibility! Children are like elastics and springs. One moment they are here and the next moment they are in the next spot. If driver was spoeeding, drunk or on drugs, I would say yes, go and charge him. But in this case I think the driver shouldn't be charged. Further deep investigation is required to satisfy law. If there is insufficient space in such lines than cars shouldn't be allowed to pass through. This need review by police with recomandationh to pass new 'rodas law bill.'
LFRAgain at 05:50 PM JST - 3rd December

To weigh in on the "No fault" argument simmering here, I too have been told that there is no such thing in Japan as a driver being 100% at fault. In any given accident, everyone is at fault, and it is only the matter of by what degree that is later determined. Yes, even if you're sitting in a parked car on the side of the road.

A police officer explained it to me this way: By taking to the roads in Japan at all, all drivers assume equal responsibility for what happens on those roads. Since driving is a privilege and not a right, the only way to avoid blame is to not drive at all. After all, if there were no parked car there in the first place, then there would be nothing for anyone else to hit.

I'm not saying I agree with this way of thinking, but that's how it's been explained to me, both by the police and by my insurance company.

When it comes to what gets paid out later by various insurance companies, that is something that is fought over between them, and is not determined by law.
Kokubuspider at 06:38 PM JST - 3rd December

Always see tiny kids 5 meters infront or behind of their parent, and that is probably what happened here. A kid that small should be right next to the carer, unless they are in a park. Carers fault too
thundercat at 09:02 PM JST - 3rd December

Noborito,

Sorry, I'm not wrong (especially since I never said the police determine guilt or innocence, that is for a court to decide). Police can and certainly do determine who is at fault in accidents when there is clearly one party responsible(otherwise every minor accident would end up in the court system). It would be pretty unbelievable to me that I could be in 2 separate accidents where the other driver was found 100% at fault if they aren't able to do this. As I said, at the scene of the second accident, the police asked me to write what kind of 'punishment' I saw fit for the other driver and there was a clearly marked section on the accident report form for exactly that purpose. Now, why do you suppose such a section would be included on the report if they do not determine fault? I don't know about the specifics about your accident but I would guess that you were found partly at fault precisely because you were 'parked' or 'stopped' on the side of the road as there are very few places where you can do this legally.

If you are ever in an accident INSIST that you were not moving at the time and I guarantee it will go a long way in helping your case ;)
elbudamexicano at 10:14 PM JST - 3rd December

"Care giver"?? What the hell kind of "care" was she or he giving to this poor little 19 month old toddler? Not much care and just an over all horrible story! RIP little toddler.
lilalia at 02:10 AM JST - 4th December

I am scared to drive in Japan after driving in my home country for some months... here the responsability of the accident is not the drivers one if the pedestrian, ... is on the car-way, except pedestrian crossing... And I can say that from when this new rules are existing, the car-pedestrian incidents decreased (also if the pedestrian is causing the accident and there are damages to the car, driver or other people involved in the accident, he-the pedestrian- will have to pay damages and panishment !) How to drive safety in Japan if nobody is respecting the elementar rule "self-protection" ?
bdiego at 07:26 AM JST - 4th December

You can hit someone with your back wheel if you're speeding around a corner (exactly as this person was doing). It's called skidding. In fact, you can even hit someone with the top roof of your vehicle. I've seen one person flip his car upside down due to speeding around a turn and braking too late, bumping over the sidewalk curb full speed.

Many states in the US and other countries have "no fault" (i.e. everyone at fault) rules on driving, and they drive safe there. Fault only matters there in cases of gross negligence or wrecklessness (i.e. if a crime occurred, which doesn't apply to most driving accidents). This isn't taken to mean the driver is automatically 100% at fault, there's no such thing.
bdiego at 07:27 AM JST - 4th December

If you do drive away (hit and run), it's a crime no matter who was at fault. The crime is for leaving the scene of an accident, not causing it.
bamboohat at 09:23 AM JST - 4th December

People can sometimes easily end up in marriages due to social pressure and convenience. As a result they can find themselves in loveless marriages and consequently children they produce are again due to social pressure. I see too many parents treating kids as accessories, or burdens rather than a young person to love and bring up properly. Too many times I see women walking with their crying kid, and they are more concerned their image (her kid is crying she must be a bad mother) than the reason their little tyke is crying. I see too few women that show a deep and honest affection for thier kids.

If you loved and cared about the kid, this would never have happened. If the kid is just another responsiblity in your life, oh well.
cleo at 09:42 AM JST - 4th December

Many states in the US and other countries have "no fault" (i.e. everyone at fault) rules on driving, and they drive safe there

Great Britain - In Great Britain the Department of Environment, Transport, and the Regions reports that motor vehicle accidents accounted for 327,544 injuries in 1997 with 42,967 serious injuries and 3,599 fatalities.

US: The 1998 NHTSA report "Traffic Safety Facts 1998 Annual Report" reports 41,471 fatalities and 3,192,000 injuries, 414,960 of them serious.

In Japan, a recent National Organization for Automotive Safety & Victims Aid (OSA) report " Status of recent road traffic accidents" states that in 1998 fatalities and injuries due to road accidents in Japan totalled 999,886, with motor vehicle occupants accounting for 608,697, or 61% of the total. Although the report did not include the exact number of fatalities, we estimate that 1998 fatalities numbered about 12,000 with approximately 129,000 serious injuries.

'They drive safe there' means roughly twice as many fatalities and serious injuries, proportional to the population?

Moderator: Readers, please stay on topic. Comparisons to other countries are irrelevant to this discussion. References to train accidents are also irrelevant.
Sammi33 at 09:42 AM JST - 5th December

In America, I almost always saw parents holding their children's hands or having them walk beside them. If a parent let their kid run around everyone around them would look at them like "what's wrong with you??" But in Japan it seems normal. When I walk around outside, there have been so many times I saw a toddler run past me, and I look around and the Mom is 3 meters behind me just walking normally, not even calling the child's name or doing anything.
kirakira25 at 02:59 PM JST - 5th December

How many times have I seen a woman (sorry but it usually is women) walking down the street alongside a busy road completely oblivious to the todder trailing along 20 yards behind her. This was a disaster just waiting to happen and Im surprised it doesnt happen more often.
helloklitty at 05:56 AM JST - 7th December

US: The 1998 NHTSA report "Traffic Safety Facts 1998 Annual Report" reports 41,471 fatalities and 3,192,000 injuries, 414,960 of them serious. In Japan, a recent National Organization for Automotive Safety & Victims Aid (OSA) report " Status of recent road traffic accidents" states that in 1998 fatalities and injuries due to road accidents in Japan totalled 999,886, with motor vehicle occupants accounting for 608,697, or 61% of the total. Although the report did not include the exact number of fatalities, we estimate that 1998 fatalities numbered about 12,000 with approximately 129,000 serious injuries. 'They drive safe there' means roughly twice as many fatalities and serious injuries, ****proportional to the population

Cleo: Which population: the driving population or the total population? A logical person would assume that a greater percentage of the population drives in the U.S. I'm not so sure you are comparing fairly. Not only are there far more drivers in the U.S. per capita, they drive much greater distances over the course of a year. What we need to compare is a ratio such as accidents:driving occurrences to determine which country drives more safely.

I will give the Japanese this: they have stunning depth perception. It must be from driving and living in narrow places for so long along with their incredibly flat faces.

Is anyone recording the number of close calls? I have, much like "Disillusioned wrote" at least 1-3 close calls a day. I would guess I had 1-3 a year in the U.S. I hate hate hate driving in Japan. Driving in the U.S. on a recent trip was such a pleasure made more so by years of infuriation from driving in Japan. You can see why so many continue to drive frequently there. Take 1-80 E from San Francisco to Reno and you'll know why.
European1 at 12:17 AM JST - 8th December

LFRAgain "100%" agree with you. My in-law was waiting on red light when suddenly old man hit her from left side. Police told her that she has 10% fault. Reason...well, she was waiting for green light in not right time and moment. If she werent there old man wouldn@t hit her. JAPAN, JAPAN...country without law. I drive everyday too and see whats going on. Everyone is like "holy cow" here, because they know if you hit them it will always be your fault because you are "a car".
OhioDonna at 07:54 AM JST - 9th December

My condolences to the child's family.