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Police in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, have arrested a 51-year-old man on a charge of reckless driving resulting in death.
According to police, a car driven by Katsuhiko Ishizaki, crossed over the center line on a national highway and slammed head-on into a station wagon being driven by elementary school teacher Aki Nakajima, 38, at around 7 p.m. Wednesday, Hokkaido Shimbun reported Thursday. Nakajima was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Ishizaki was arrested at the scene of the crash and given a breathalyzer test to measure his blood alcohol content. Police said he was over the legal limit and that he was also exceeding the speed limit when he crossed the center line.
© Japan Today
11 Comments
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Disillusioned
Why doesn't the Japanese police and media release his actual blood alcohol level? The legal limit in Japan is zero percent. If he had one small glass of beer he is over limit, thus making him a drunk driver. They release every other detail, car make, age, job, etc. but not the blood alcohol level.
TheGodfather
"Why doesn't the Japanese police and media release his actual blood alcohol level?"
In England the police would say that the driver was ONE-AND-A-HALF TIMES, or TWICE, or even THREE TIMES the drink-drive limit.
This puts the "reckless driving resulting in death" charge into context for everyone.
Dan Lewis
@previous comments
Would it make a difference in the outcome of DUI?
Tahoochi
@Dan Lewis: Agreed.
Also, is it me, or do the guilty ones always survive? I don't like to wish death upon anyone, but how tragic that the innocent one died and the guilty one survived...
albaleo
Before the case had reached court? I don't think so.
TheGodfather
"Before the case had reached court?"
Yes, and that is the point. Just like with the speed limit, if you're over the limit it is bad, but if you are TWO or THREE TIMES over the limit then you are going to jail because there is no hope for you.
So of course the drink drive reading is published BEFORE court because the evidence has to be given to the defence in advance. If the suspect is slightly over the limit the defence can argue that the reading was wrong because the device was not accurate. But if you are THREE TIMES over the limit and kill someone in your car, you're going to jail.
It's called having a LEGAL SYSTEM that does not protect MURDERERS.
A LEGAL SYSTEM that does not do RANDOM SENTENCING.
And a LEGAL SYSTEM that PROTECTS THE PUBLIC!!
Citizen2012
It appears that the way the police is determining the driver to be "driving drunk" is more important than your real level of alcohol if the wiki is correct.
extract from the wiki: Additionally, regardless of alcohol readings, police may also determine the driver to be "driving drunk," which is punished more severely than exceeding the designated alcohol limits
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunk_driving_law_by_country
also, the passenger can have driving licensed revoked for 2 years if he is seating close to a known drunk driver (same goes for the shop owner).
http://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/kotsu/torishimari/inshu_info/inshu_bassoku.html
nath
Incorrect. It's 0.03.
Dan Lewis
@Tahoochi Not always. Every now and then it happens, but I think less focus is placed on the wrong doer because he/she has died.
Brian Wheway
if you kill some some when your under the influence of drugs or alcohol you should go to prison for the same time as if you had shot dead that other person, because at the end of the day you have taken some one life, with or without intent
nath
Another sad driving day. And someone has to explain to that teacher's children that their teacher is dead. Very sad day in that school too. Wow! Drunk drivers. When will they ever learn?