School bus driver arrested after hitting 84-year-old woman in Chiba

Tuesday 03rd March, 08:41 AM JST

CHIBA —

An 84-year-old woman died after being hit by a school bus in Ichihara City on Monday. The driver was arrested for vehicular manslaughter, police said.

An eye-witness called police at around 3 p.m. and told them an elderly woman had been hit by a bus at an intersection in Ichihara City. The woman was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after. The 58-year-old bus driver was arrested at the scene.

About 30 Koryo High School students were on the bus at the time, but none were injured, police said.

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Latest 15 of 22 Total Comments Show All

likeitis at 11:41 AM JST - 3rd March

by my calculations it's actually a 47.5% chance

You are probably right.
timeon at 12:10 PM JST - 3rd March

mindovermatter, I guess he didn't leave the scene, since "the bus driver was arrested at the scene". but yes, without details there is no point in commenting this tragedy
Richard_the_First at 01:26 PM JST - 3rd March

Buses are heavy old lumps and cannot stop like cars.
mousepotato464 at 01:29 PM JST - 3rd March

This is a very sad story. Be careful out there. Lets just hope that this doesn't become a copycat crime.
Spidey at 02:21 PM JST - 3rd March

Lets just hope that this doesn't become a copycat crime.

CRIME!?

Again I ask..."ARE THERE NO VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS IN JAPAN!?"

S!
Wakarimasen at 02:30 PM JST - 3rd March

At least none of the kids were injured.
dennis0bauer at 03:05 PM JST - 3rd March

i will comemment if i know more about the situation
Midnightpromise at 04:27 PM JST - 3rd March

Slow older lady + fast bus driver = JT story
BBLeo at 05:20 PM JST - 3rd March

Sticky and tricky story JT please expand story wider. What is excuse from bus driver? At least there will be 30 witnesses and I wonder on which side of the bench they will testify for?
Kokubuspider at 07:46 PM JST - 3rd March

Poor bus driver, from what ive seen hundreds of times, old biddy wandered out into middle of road without even looking. If that is the case, the bus driver should be given a few weeks off work, counselling, and a desk job. Thats all.
Kokubuspider at 07:51 PM JST - 3rd March

Wottockhunt - yes, yes and yes. Well put. Im no ageist but these old people are like short-sighted lemmings on a bad day, and it cant be the innocents who get punished for their mistakes/foolishness/deathwish
aparth at 08:21 PM JST - 3rd March

On the roads near my school (on which buses run), kids wander aimlessly all over the street with their back to the traffic. Without footpaths or road safety messages, I'm surprised accidents like this aren't more common.
Disillusioned at 10:26 PM JST - 3rd March

I'm surprised accidents like this aren't more common.

The sad truth is, they are that common. Just because it's not posted on JT doesn't mean it didn't happen. However, as much as I agree the old biddy just wandered out onto the street, all drivers have a responsibility to be aware of such unforeseen events. I have my eyes peeled to the back of my head when I'm driving around in this circus. Kids, bicycles, old people, ratbag drivers, kamikaze trucks and my personal favorite, the unattended two year old wandering around the streets. It is a gamble! When considering how the law is set up to give the driver 100% responsibility regardless of the circumstances it is very easy to understand why so many drivers flee the scene.
archiebald at 12:06 PM JST - 4th March

The other morning I was taking my daughter to school on a snowy morning in Nagano by car and on one of the narrow side streets, five elementary schoolkids were walking side by side across the full width of the road with their backs to me.

So from 50 meters away at only about 20km/h (on packed ice / snow) I slowed down and tooted. No response so a couple of longer blasts on the horn and three of them moved to the side of the road.

Now at 20 meters I just held my hand on the horn while slowing down to a virtual stop. One more kid got off the road but the other is still wandering at a snail's pace in the middle of the road.

Finally I stopped 1 meter behind here, bear in mind the horn was sounding the entire time and finally after another 3 or 4 seconds pass, she looks round at me.

But, does she get out of the road....NO!! It still took a blast on the horn and a stern look before she wandered to the side of the road. And, no she didn't have an ipod in her ears.

Happened again this morning as well - same place, same kids. - Utter morons.
samsarks at 01:56 PM JST - 4th March

BBleo-in jp laws the driver is guilty.in jp the driver is always wrong.a jp friend is languishing in jail for hitting an old man .the old man who crossed the red light.you better not drive in jp