crime

Man on scooter killed in hit-and-run

12 Comments

A 50-year-old man riding a scooter was killed after he was hit by a station wagon that kept going in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, on Sunday morning.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 7 a.m. at a T-junction with traffic lights. Sankei Shimbun reported that a witness called 110 to report that a black station wagon had hit a scooter turning right, and kept going.

Police said the man on the scooter suffered severe head injuries and was taken to hospital where he died about three hours later.

Witnesses said the station wagon was going through a red light when it hit the scooter.

Police are examining street surveillance camera footage to try and identify the car.

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12 Comments
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Vehicular manslaughter?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Does anyone know how tough the laws are on running red lights and how seriously the police enforce them? My eyeball test say motorists, at least in my neighborhood, have scant regard for red lights. RIP to the man on the scooter.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

My eyeball test say motorists, at least in my neighborhood, have scant regard for red lights.

Boy you hit the nail on the head with that one. You should expect that at least the next two or three vehicles will run the light after it has turned red. Apparently to many, red means "stop only when pedestrians have crowded the crosswalk and made it difficult to continue".

11 ( +11 / -0 )

Runs a red light. Hits someone causing his death. Carries on driving. I hope (s)he gets it. And more.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Red light cameras would soon fix this problem.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I have warned my kids never to cross the street as soon as they get the walk light because of the high probability of idiots who took the yellow in their direction as an order to speed up. Generally, this happens on low traffic density streets.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

the man on the scooter suffered severe head injuries

Helmets save lives! Obviously, he was not wearing a good helmet or, as i see often, it was not fastened. I'm not defending the driver of the car in any way, but if the bike rider was wearing a properly fastened fibreglass helmet it would have been impossible for him to sustain lethal head injuries. Bike riders do not take helmets seriously in Japan and the Japanese standards are very relaxed on the quality. Those cheap plastic helmets are a complete waste of money and will split open in an accident, but they carry a Japanese standards association sticker. I also often see riders wearing work hardhats, especially older men, with no fasteners at all. Then, there are the younger punks with the half-head helmets loosely clasped around the back of their neck. I'm not defending the hit-and-run driver, but if the biker was wearing a good helmet the driver would not be facing a vehicular manslaughter charge when caught.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Probably wearing a pisspot helmet around the back of his head. Not that it in any way excuses the car driver, though.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Red light cameras would soon fix this problem.>

No, red light cameras increase accidents because they cause people to suddenly slam on their brakes and get rear-ended.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

No, red light cameras increase accidents because they cause people to suddenly slam on their brakes and get rear-ended.

Got data for that?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am not blaming the victim in this case, but as a general observation so many scooter riders here don't bother fastening their helmets, or wear earphones while riding and ignore red lights etc., it's surprising we don't hear about more deaths. But then, this is the "safety country" isn't it?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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