Kindergarten president arrested for hit-and-run which killed 2-year-old girl

Monday 20th July, 10:04 AM JST

YOKOHAMA —

A 77-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for vehicular negligence resulting in death and fleeing the scene of an accident. Minoru Ishikawa, president of Ishikawa Gakuen – a corporate body which runs Suginoko Kindergarten and Kobato Kindergarten, is accused of hitting a 2-year-old girl with his car as she was walking behind her mother at a pedestrian crossing in Yokohama City in late June.

The girl, Sara Onishi, was walking behind her mother, Mona, 38, at around 11.40 a.m. on June 30 at a crossing in Nishi Ward, when a car turning right hit her and failed to stop at the scene. She was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Ishikawa, whose vehicle was identified from security camera footage, was quoted by police as saying: “I didn’t see the girl but I had a feeling I had hit someone. When I looked in my rear view mirror and didn’t see anyone, I got scared and drove home.”

Police said Ishikawa continued working as usual in July, but indicated on Sunday that he will resign.

News reports

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Latest 15 of 27 Total Comments Show All

PeachFuzz at 09:35 PM JST - 20th July

The mother should be held partly, if not totally responsible, for not walking across the crossing holding her childs hand. How could she leave her child to walk metres behind her on such a busy crossing alone. I couldnt believe my ears when I saw it on the news. The driver should have come forward sooner and maybe the police might be more lenient on him, considering the neglectful actions of the mother which might have avoided this tragedy in the first place.
elbudamexicano at 11:29 PM JST - 20th July

This 77 year old geezer should not even be driving a car! This old people here in Japan, are very, very dangerous! They should make a law to verify if these geezers over 60 are competent to drive. Not just the usual hearing tests, eyes but to make sure they are not suffering from Alzheimers etc...If less old geezers drove in Japan, there would be less accidents. This is a great chance for a new business, driving old people around Japan!
Fadamor at 11:58 PM JST - 20th July

Elbudamexicano, while it's true there would be less accidents if the very elderly were prohibited from driving, it's also true that there would be less accidents if youths weren't allowed to drive until their hormones settled down... I propose a ban on all drivers under the age of 25 and over the age of 70. There! Problem solved! ;-) Hmm, now what are we going to do about all those pesky irresponsible drivers in between those ages?
YuriOtani at 11:58 PM JST - 20th July

elbudamexicano, the old drive all over the world. Why do you have to pick on Japan and 60 is really young to start this process? PeachFuzz, the law does not work like that in Japan though he would have gotten off a lot easier by stopping. This is another example of NOT paying attention and following the traffic laws. The only question was he fully able to drive or was it just reckless driving in which age is NOT a factor.
Disillusioned at 08:29 AM JST - 21st July

The only question was he fully able to drive or was it just reckless driving in which age is NOT a factor.

You forgot to mention the mother's irresponsibility for letting a two year old wander across the street by herself. If she was holding the child's hand, as a responsible would have been, this old fella would be sitting at home sucking down his sho-chu right now.
netrek at 08:35 AM JST - 21st July

77 is too old to drive! WTF!?
zurcronium at 08:42 AM JST - 21st July

77 is too old for anything let alone driving.

This guy knew he hit something and just failed to stop and see. He belongs in jail, what he did is called hit and run. A two year old is dead not because of his mother, but because of this guy running over her cause he was late for his majong match. If I were the father of the child I would run over him. He could have been drinking too, another reason he didnt see the child and ran off without stopping.

Could be he takes himself out soon.
bogva at 09:49 AM JST - 21st July

Come on, guys! How old are you? In your twenties? My father is 76 and he is still able driver. Of coarse after 60 the driving license is redeemed every 5 years and I agree after 75 old folks need checks every year (BTW Japan is doing something about it right now). But calling them with offending names is no good anyway. Yes, eyesight and reactions are impaired but they are still members of society right?

As many others have noted the mother's responsibility is the key here. In the initial news it was mentioned the kid was shouting (probably wanting something from her mother), then suddenly stopped. It is obvious mother was not paying attention to discipline her kid but crossing is not the place and she paid dearly with the life of her own child.

Driver is responsible too, but imagine elder and a kid dressed presumably in light colored dress on a zebra white stripe background! Just bad circumstances for everyone. Now a lot of work for all authorities to judge who was at fault.
fishy at 10:04 AM JST - 21st July

this incident wouldn't have happened if the mother was more responsible. it was terrible the driver left the scene but it has nothing to do with his age. there are plenty of people older than 77 driving in the U.S.
bbqtatsujin at 11:22 AM JST - 21st July

I nearly struck a woman last night. She popped out from a building right into the blind spot of my right windshield pillar. S#it happens behind the wheel. Sorry for the old man, the mom and especially the kid. Bad luck.
Sammi33 at 07:23 AM JST - 22nd July

In Japan I see so many mothers walk meters in front of their toddlers, keitai in one hand and shopping bags in the other. For every mother on the train/out in the neighborhood/at my school I see talking, playing and interacting with their child in a healthy way I see about 10 mothers who ignore their child.
bcbrownboy at 07:02 AM JST - 23rd July

Yes it seems mothers get easily distracted, and even on the train platforms - yesterday 3 kids racing around, chasing each other, and the mothers occasionally issuing a quiet "settle down," kids blithely ignoring them. And here in a busy crosswalk. Mother should also be charged with child neglect. God if it were my kid, I'd corral them quick!
kjcar11 at 09:35 PM JST - 24th July

LOL at those of you clamoring about 77 being too old to drive. It depends entirely on the person, not the age. If 77 is too old to drive, what do you think of the geezers on the U.S. Supreme Court? John Paul Stevens is friggin' 89 years old! Four others are in their 70s. Should we banish old people from society altogether? Sheesh.
DenDon at 10:05 PM JST - 24th July

If 77 is too old to drive, what do you think of the geezers on the U.S. Supreme Court?

not a reasonable comparison
rei307 at 01:19 AM JST - 25th July

Not holding the child's hand was the mistake. A two year old trips and falls a lot.