Girl escapes injury as train passes over her

Tuesday 22nd September, 08:44 AM JST

NAGANO —

A 2-year-7-month-old girl miraculously lived after she crawled on to the tracks and a train passed over her, just missing her, Sunday on the Yashiro Line in Suzaka City, Nagano Prefecture. According to police, when the girl saw the train drawing near her, she lay down in the space between the rails. The conductor saw the girl and attempted to stop the train, but couldn’t do so before the train passed over her body.

The girl received only scratches to her forehead, and climbed out from beneath the train by herself after it stopped. The girl had come to the area to visit her grandfather, who lives nearby, and wandered off when her mother wasn’t looking.

The incident occurred near a crossing gate about 200 meters before Suzaka station. The train had been traveling at about 40km/h.

News reports

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 40 Total Comments Show All

jessssicaaa at 05:33 PM JST - 22nd September

Wow that was close.. glad shes ok
dolphingirl at 05:45 PM JST - 22nd September

I don't want to immediately blame the mother or accuse her of child neglect as I am not a mother. But it seems like common sense to me to hold a small child's hand or at least have him/her very close to you at a train station. I am very happy to hear that this little girl is okay.

Instead of blue lights to prevent suicide, the train companies might want to consider installing some type of barrier so that adults and children are kept a safe distance away from the tracks.
KallyPygous at 07:06 PM JST - 22nd September

Didn't this exact same thing happen last year? Or did the child die? I can't remember.
noborito at 08:36 PM JST - 22nd September

The term "Playing in the street" is only a phrase. But obviously not in Japan.
Badge213 at 08:40 PM JST - 22nd September

Yes bad situation, but I'll cut the mom some slack, hopefully she learned her lesson and there could of been other reasons not noted in the news that her attention was focused away for the kid to run away fast and kids are fast.
kidoave at 09:13 PM JST - 22nd September

The Mother was not looking...you are lucky Mom, due to decreasing new born baby in Japan. The Japanese Mother should take extra care for their children.

However, I agree in some of the comments above that the Mother of this child should be charge with negligence and be given some punishment like giving public apology for her negligence of her child.
bamboohat at 10:19 PM JST - 22nd September

Our children are the most precious

To most people. Not to some. Unfortunately. The sad fact is that to many, children are a mistake, a burden, a trick to secure a husband that didn't turn out so well...shoganai..
usaexpat at 11:00 PM JST - 22nd September

Wow that is one lucky kid, I bet her mother keeps her on a leash from now on.
wontond at 03:08 AM JST - 23rd September

I think it is too quick to determine if this were neglect or not. I'm all for not being over-protective, but I don't think it's too much to ask for a parent to be mindful where their toddler is at a train station. It's not like they were in shopping centre or restaurant. Trains don't stop on a dime and say excuse me, when they hit you, they usualy kill you.
grafton at 03:36 AM JST - 23rd September

I think this little girl was very lucky, though she might be having night mares for the rest of her life, I know I would be.
bushlover at 06:32 AM JST - 23rd September

The kid saw the train coming and got down? This kid could be smarter than the average youth these days. I think she is gifted.
kirakira25 at 08:12 AM JST - 23rd September

I agree with many of the comments here - I AM a mum. I`ve raised two toddlers so far and another one to come. They are a nightmare and they do get into anything and everything the minute your back in turned - but I agree completely with what another poster said - I would barely turn my back for a second in the park, perhaps more so at home as it is as safe as I can make it but NEVER EVER near a railway line/road.

Toddlers are hard to handle, but I see carers here all the time with their backs to them. Just 3 days ago I had to run into a major road near our house to grab a 2 year old who had run out into 3 lanes of fast moving traffic - because the mother was walking along in front, oblivious to the kid and what she was doing. She thanked me and I SCREAMED at her for being so stupid (8 months pregnant, I scream at lampposts right now!) and THEN my husband screamed at ME for running out to rescue the child in the first place!
newtomboro at 10:24 AM JST - 23rd September

inmost cases their mothers dont cares to look affert thier kids well.or pretend that they dont see the kid moving in a wrong direction.thanks god the baby is alife
nipponreddog at 07:57 PM JST - 24th September

The kid saw the train coming and got down? This kid could be smarter than the average youth these days. I think she is gifted<

It is even more amazing than that. Had she not put her head down into the gap off the crossing, she would still have been killed. The train conductor should be commended for his quick reaction.
Mayura at 01:16 AM JST - 27th September

A pretty smart kid. Glad that she's okay. The mother should be punished though. I've seen various parents (not in Japan) leaving their children to follow from behind all the time. This makes me wonder; what if someone just come along and grab the child from behind? I feel that most parents nowadays really do lack supervision skills.