8-year-old boy killed by car while walking home in Ibaraki
IBARAKI —
An 8-year-old-boy was killed when he was hit by a car as he was crossing a road in Kita-Ibaraki City, at around 5 p.m. on Monday, police said Tuesday. According to police, the boy was on his way home with a friend when he was hit by a car driven by Hiromi Arakawa, a 48-year-old unemployed resident of the same city.
Arakawa told police the boy suddenly jumped out onto the road. Police are questioning him further, and may pursue a charge of vehicular manslaughter. The accident took place at a T-junction with good visibility, but without traffic lights.
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Sherman
I guess his parents let him go to school and come back on his own, not counting his freind. I take collect my 8 year old everyday. As far as I can see, I am the only parent that does this.
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nutsagain
Yeah, and don't forget to check his cellphone calls ... This is the only country in the world with a police force that has let this now out of control problem exacerbate so much, so quickly, so pervasively. The Japanese seem to think the only 'bad' thing about it is getting caught. 'If' they're caught that is.
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Eizenhauer
Its highly possible that the boy jumped onto the road...Seen "dangerous" kids like that a bit way too often when i drive, but then why not use that horn as often as possible...Elderly people are another "dangerous" group who don't care about riding their bicycles on the middle of the road... Piece of advice: slow down and adhere to speed limits traffic signs.
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Deepen
We must aware of this now and don't let our child to be next victim.
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smithinjapan
Without any more details on the story you cannot assume either way what happened. It's very, very easy to vilify Arakawa because he killed a young boy -- and of course the media didn't fail to mention that he's unemployed, which during a spate of murders and criminal acts by unemployed people makes him look more suspicious. But at the same time I see kids doubling on bikes and riding down highways, weaving through trucks and cars that are waiting for a light or slowing down, and likewise I've seen kids suddenly bolt across a street while not checking for cars.
Let's get a little more news on what actually happened, first.
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Spidey
Again...the word "accident" holds no meaning in this "lay the blame" society. Sure, Japan has many "written laws" that should protect the innocent or in this case the "wrong place at the wrong time" driver,unfortunately "written law" also holds no meaning.
Piece of advice: slow down and adhere to speed limits traffic signs.
And if a child decides to jump out into traffic this "piece of advice" won't help much.
S
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hoserfella
pleas for Japanese to slow down and otherwise drive safely on city streets will always fall on deaf ears. Japan may be a wealthy G-8 country, but the reality is it shares the same indifferent attitude towards road safety as any 3rd world country you'd see in Africa or Southeast Asia.
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Disillusioned
Yeah, this guy is gonna end up in jail for a long time. From this story, as vague as it is, the boy jumped out onto the road at a 'T' intersection. One would conclude the car had slowed to make a turn. Just how slow we will never know. The kid, in all likelyhood did just jump straight in front of the car as eight year olds have very little road sense, especially Japanese kids. However, drivers in Japan show very little awareness or concern for things that 'may' happen (like kids jumping in front of them) while they are driving and frequently storm through intersections regardless. - The fact this guy is unemployed, albeit irrelevent except in Japan, will condemn this fella to a long jail term.
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Wakarimasen
I disagree - it is pedestrians in Japan who show little or no road sense. Don't people here realise that cars can hurt you and that assuming that cars will always be able to stop in time or see you "jumping into the road" or cycling down the road the wrong way is dangerous? I also note that lots of recent crime and deaths like this coming up in Ibarraki - is it the new Saitama?
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Apsara
8-year-olds jump out in front of traffic all the time. There is nothing to suggest that this guy was driving erratically or dangerously. I know a couple of people who have hit elderly people because they also have a tendency to just step out in front of cars. Accidents will happen.
And while this may make some parents want to drive their kids to and from school every day, I survived the daily 20 minute walk to school, as did most of my peers. How far do we go with wrapping the kids up in cotton wool?
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whitepocky
Having taught my 3 year old son to check for vehicles when crossing a road, no matter how minor or major they may be, I find it amazing that other mothers/familys come out with the 'erai desu ne' remark. The fact that even such a basic rule of the road is not taught to those amongst his peer group just baffles me. Not wanting to be stereotypical at all, but it seems some parents seem to leave the raising of their children to the system. We then read on a regular basis about these kind of instances in the media. A sad waste of a life.
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kirakira25
I was told recently that I was "henna" and didn`t understand Japanese culture because I am not prepared to let my 6 year old daughter walk to elementary school and back alone.
Sorry - if exposing my daughter to the risks of being a 6 year old out alone (or even in the "care" of another 6 year old) makes me ignorant then I apologise. But even street-smart kids (and adults for that matter) can lose concentration for a second when they are horsing around with potentially devastating consequences. I don`t know if that is what happened in this case but I just worry everytime I see young kids walking along the street alone.
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kirakira25
Sorry - if NOT exposing my daughter to the risks...
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pizzaboy
this is darwinism at work here. lazy/ignorant parents don't teach their kids, then kids acting like brainless idiots and running onto the street while horsing around (without looking) combined with a country full of narrow streets. bad combination.
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