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An 89-year-old woman in a motorized wheelchair died after she was hit by a small truck in Kudoyama, Wakayama Prefecture.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 7:40 p.m. Friday. Sankei Shimbun reported that the woman was on her way home from shopping when she was hit from behind by the truck, driven by a 75-year-old man, about 500 meters from her home.
The truck driver was quoted by police as saying the woman was driving her wheelchair on the left of the lane when she suddenly veered over to the right and into his path.
The woman was taken to hospital with severe head injuries but died shortly after arrival.
© Japan Today
13 Comments
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Gobshite
Motorised wheelchairs don't do anything suddenly. RIP old lady, but neither of them should have been on the road.
Frederic Bastiat
"Motorised wheelchairs don't do anything suddenly."
I beg to differ. Some of the motorized carts/chairs are rather nimble.
But I agree that neither should have been behind "the wheel".
sensei258
He saw a very old woman in a motorized wheelchair and didn't think to slow down in case? There have been many times when I've been driving and witnessed (not only) older people do something unexpected causing me to exclaim "How'd you get old doing things like that?"
albaleo
You might think differently if you lived in Kudoyama.
sensei258
With Japan's aging population, we're going to see more and more "accidents" and "mercy killings" I'm sure.
ensnaturae2
Why ever should they both NOT be behind the wbeel?
DaDude
canigetawhatwhat
Japan needs tighter regulation for elderly drivers. Wheelchair and cars.
ensnaturae2
Both might have been capable drivers, regardless of age.You never had an accident? You sure that women should not be shut away out of sight? Especially old ones! Got any more prejudices, folks?
danalawton1@yahoo.com
Cars often pass me on narrow roads at a high rate of speed while I'm riding my bike in the same direction. I'm unable to see them and can only hope they're aware of me. If all of a sudden a bug or something flew in my eye and I mistakenly veered right.... I'd be dead. Especially if the vehicle were travelling at a high rate of speed.... and high rate does not have to be actually that fast. High rate, in my estimation, would be any speed faster than around 15kph when passing someone on a narrow road. Any speed faster than that would be unsafe because the driver would not be able to stop quickly enough to avoid an accident. Drivers need to slow down on narrow roads when passing someone walking, biking, or riding any slow vehicle.
kurisupisu
So, she veered over to the other side of the road and was hit from behind? This doesn't make sense!
Disillusioned
Don't go blaming the old lady. Too many of these truck drivers are just hellbent cowboys who have very little or no regard for other road users. You can bet he was barrelling down the road in excess of the speed limit and saw the old lady, but didn't make any course or speed adjustments for her.
Gerard Michael Sugrue
Its time to bring out the big mac the mother of all wheelchairs