Wheelchair-bound man hit and killed by car in Utsunomiya

Did they catch the driver, or was it a hit and run?

Did they catch the driver

Story says the driver is 41 so it seems so

The cross-walk light was red at the time, but a witness said Watanabe was crossing the street anyway, local media reported.

The driver will get railroaded anyway.

This should probably be classed as a suicide.

The driver will get railroaded anyway.

I doubt it. He has witnesses saying he had the right of way, and given the clear views, the wheelchair man should have seen the car coming. While driving a car at night, one can get a lot of distractions (like being blinded by an incoming car lights). There would have been no accident if the wheelchair man would have respected the rules..

ebisen, why doubt? This is Japan. This happened in Japan. They will say he is a professional driver (cause anybody who gets a license is suddenly a pro driver in Japan and never mind the utter lack of race wins for Japan).

and given the clear views,

That is EXACTLY what they will say! Only they will say it was the driver who had a clear view!

Technically, in Japan, pedestrians have the right of way, and the lights and the laws of physics be damned!

(like being blinded by an incoming car lights).

This is Japan! Laws of physics be damned!

I should think his best bet will be to claim the man was not a pedestrian, but a driver of a vehicle, a wheelchair! You can't even legally ride a bike on the sidewalk anymore!

I nearly got hit by some joker while I was on a lit crossing the other day. The light was green to walk, but this joker took of from the curb to sneak around the corner and just in front if me. His mirror hit my shoulder. There are some very careless and irresponsible drivers in Japan. Be very careful where and when you cross the street cos they don't stop.

ebisen: "There would have been no accident if the wheelchair man would have respected the rules.."

True, but all the same the driver will still suffer some sort of penalty as he was in the larger vehicle of the two involved, and that's how it works in Japan. Doesn't matter the cause or who's ultimately to blame; once the police are involved the driver of the larger vehicle automatically shoulders a large part. Obviously the man should not have crossed against the light, but I still question the driver to an extent if the view was truly clear. I ride my bicycle everywhere I go, more or less, and there are ALWAYS people -- usually old ladies -- who just start crossing the street and going against a red light where there is one and even though I have the right of way I still hit the breaks, of course. I question why the driver could not as it seems clear the wheelchair didn't suddenly bolt in front of him but was 'still on the crossing'. Doesn't excuse the victim, but it does put into question the driver's ability to drive safely.

Actually in Japan, if you remember your driving classes, which are required before getting a license the first time regardless of having a license before:

If the pedestrian raises their right arm at the cross walk then they have the right of way regardless of the signals. If a wheel chair has the red flag and white reflectors then it automatically has the right of way.

My source is the traffic and road laws from the NPA, 2003 edition.

The light was green to walk, but this joker took of from the curb to sneak around the corner and just in front if me.

Given obstructions, he might not have seen you. My question is, why did you not see him? Do you just go with the fact that you technically have the right of way, and ignore all incoming traffic? Cause it sure looks like that is what happened here.

You can scream and pout and stamp your feet. You can advocate traffic rules that state whatever with a determined vehemence. But the fact is, its just as easy to save yourself as it is to recklessly put yourself in harms way ignoring the reality around you.

The traffic laws for Japan are made by Japanese for the benefit of Japanese. You are not home in Kansas and have to respect the laws of your host nation Japan. When I drive in America have to respect the laws of the State and National laws. Look the guy in the wheelchair made a mistake and being slow and clumsy is given right of way. So my advice is to SLOW DOWN and pay attention to your driving. If the driver was driving at a speed for the conditions and was paying attention the accident would never have happened.