2-year-old boy seriously injured after being hit by train in Aichi

Monday 05th January, 09:21 AM JST

AICHI —

A 2-year-old boy was seriously injured in Hekinan City when he was hit by a train bound for Chiryu on the Meitetsu Mikawa line on Sunday. The train driver was quoted by police as saying: “I saw the boy near the tracks and applied the brakes but couldn’t stop in time.”

An eye-witness told media she saw a small child lying face down covered in blood. Police said the boy lived near the Mikawa line and had followed his older brother who had gone outside to play, and walked into the train crossing. The incident happened around 1:45 p.m.

News reports

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Latest 15 of 31 Total Comments Show All

nigelboy at 03:51 PM JST - 5th January

Got to agree with Stats. It's a freak accident.

Since other posters are speculating here, for all we know, his parent(s) could be one of those types who are indeed at their kids side every moment but happened to be in the bathroom when the accident took place.
nigelboy at 04:04 PM JST - 5th January

Poor little boy. I hope he recovers. If he does, you can bet his parents will never let him out of their sight again.

According to other sources, the boy appears to be conscious.
JapanHusker at 04:06 PM JST - 5th January

Statistician,

LOL! Sorry mate, I got a real job - in an office, completer with desk, chair, computer and internet. And besides, I don't do the one-finger peck typing. I can get on, type, and sign out in about 2-min flat. Leaves plenty of time for me to get my work done. I too, have to trust my wife during the day not to let my son run on railroad tracks or in the street. She does a good job at it too - since has the same feelings I do on this subject. And guess what - she's JAPANESE! Just not one with her head in the sand. Nice try though.

Seems to me that some foreigners here are really gulping the "Japanese Culture Kool-aid" by the liters. Great culture for the most part. That is why I have been here 11 years, married into it, and work in a Japanese company.

Moderator: Stay on topic please.
JapanHusker at 04:08 PM JST - 5th January

"Do any young mothers contribute comments to this board?"

Nah, their out at pachinko with their young J-guy husbands while the kids entertain themselves in the car; or home alone...
cleo at 04:09 PM JST - 5th January

Do any young mothers contribute comments to this board?

I used to be a young mother.....

Toddlers are escape artists. Other than physically chaining them to you, it's virtually impossible to keep them totally accident-free. If all you come up against is little accidents (on the level of scraped knees and split lips), you're a very lucky parent.
JapanHusker at 04:12 PM JST - 5th January

"If all you come up against is little accidents (on the level of scraped knees and split lips), you're a very lucky parent."

HUH? So you are saying that those whose kids don't lose one of their limbs - much less - their lives are the LUCKY ones? Pity your children. Lazy excuses.
cleo at 04:21 PM JST - 5th January

Don't waste your time pitying my kids. They did fine. They were expert escape artists, though, and during their toddler years were not allowed outside unless they were togged out in harness and lead, with a parent or grandparent attached. Just holding hands was not enough.

No one wants any child to suffer serious injury; but I pity your kids if they reach puberty without so much as a scraped knee - you mean you're never going to allow them to run in the park or school yard, never going to allow them to play chase-me or soccer? There's such a thing as over-protection.

:-)
JapanHusker at 04:29 PM JST - 5th January

Well, in all due respect, the article IS about a TWO-YEAR-OLD. In addition, my son is a four. A much different story then pre-pubescent eight-year-olds.

Of course I'll let him run and take his chances with fate, the brains God gave him, and my and my wife's teachings/discipline in mind.

But he is four, and I do not let him out of my sight in any kind of precarious situations. Not when shopping, not when near a busy or dangerous-type road, and certainly not if I lived near a train line.
ptolemy at 04:44 PM JST - 5th January

As the father of a 10 year old daughter, and yes I am at work right now, at 2 kids are fast and able to escape under the most watchful of eyes. The phone rings - you answer it, then when you hang up - Where's the crumb snatcher? A delivery at the door, you accept it - Where's the kiddo? You can't be everywhere at once. Accidents can and do happen.

That said, the fmaily does live on a train line and it is one of the busiest here in Nagoya. The parents need to be even more watchful for this reason. The buggest problem is the Meitetsu tracks are not fenced in like the JR tracks and are not elevated above road crossings. The kid is alive and perhaps learned a lesson repeatedly taught by his parents look both ways and wait for the gates to go up before crossing. I'm sure he'll be extra careful in the future, if not then he goes the way of others in history who refuse to learn from experience.
Statistician at 05:06 PM JST - 5th January

@JapanHusker 11;25

no I have not {ever lost track of my child for a few moments}

)

@JapanHusker 4:06

I too, have to trust my wife during the day not to let my son run on railroad tracks

So your first statement was not true. In fact by your own admission you lose track of your child's activities for the whole of the working day

I rest my case. Try some compassion in future please.
JapanHusker at 05:28 PM JST - 5th January

Statistician:

That was feeble.

"Try some compassion in future please."

I do, for all the neglected children that end up hurt or dead here.
samsarks at 11:16 PM JST - 5th January

the point is you should take precautionary measures when you live near a rail line.been it an adult or toddler,the mother just didnt do that.wish the boy well
electric2004 at 12:03 AM JST - 6th January

Cleo, you are right on the point. My little boy is now 3 Years and 9 month, so he is past the age of "terrible 2". We had our share of slightly dangerous situations with him. Now he has learned and under normal situations in the home it is no longer necessary to always watch him.

However his little sister, now 1 year and 4 months seems to have learned a lot from him. She likes to touch buttons, throw things to the ground, grab everything from the table, runs with things in her mouth and so on. And, yes, at her young age, she is also an escape artist. She manages to climb out of her baby feeding chair, or out of her baby bed. And she understands to move steps or chairs to use them for climbing to higher positions.

We can not ask our boy to take care of his younger sister - she is smart enough to trick him, for example taking away his orange juice or sweets or toys. However, if she does something which she should not (like switching off the room heater or the TV), he tries to stop her, or he calls for us, his parents for help.

And, yes, we have double locks at the doors. It helps.
kurisutofu at 11:13 AM JST - 6th January

Maff, In fact, in my family, if you're alone with your 2 years-old kid, yes, you go to the bathroom with him/her. When you wash your clothes, the kid might not be on the washing machine but at least near the parent who can see what the kid is doing.
Sarge at 11:21 AM JST - 6th January

The kid was hit by a train and he's still alive... I sincerely hope he recovers enough to lead a happy and productive life.