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Police in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, said Saturday they have arrested a 45-year-old company employee on suspicion of reckless driving resulting in death after he hit and killed a 19-year-old male university student.
Police said the suspect, Ken Okazaki, has admitted to being drunk at the time of the incident which occurred at around 5:40 a.m. Saturday on a national route in Kawasaki Ward, Fuji TV reported. Police said Okazaki hit the student from behind on a section of the road where there is no sidewalk.
Okazaki stopped his car while a passerby called 119. The student was taken to hospital with severe head injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police gave a Okazaki a breathalyzer test which showed him to be over the legal limit. He was quoted by police as saying he had been drinking at home the night before and was on his way to work when the accident occurred.
© Japan Today
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HARRYO
I know this must be very painful for the students family and for the Okazaki family. At least Okazaki stopped his vehicle and stayed at the scene, Manned Up to the accident unlike other drivers that flee the scene only to be caught later on. Nothing will bring back the student and nothing ever heal the pain that the family's will feel.
Disillusioned
Despite Japan's severe penalties for drink driving it is still very common due to the passive policing. I was quite astonished by how few breathe testing traps are set up in Japan. They are usually set up in the same place during holiday seasons. It's very different coming from Australia. The first thing any police will do is test you for alcohol and/or drugs regardless of why you were pulled over. It's also a fact that a large percentage of drink drivers are caught the morning after.
I understand that Japan has passive policing policies as to not inconvenience people. However, this results in many unnecessary and pointless deaths because the chances are getting caught are very small. I'm sure this 19 year old's family wouldn't mind the inconvenience of random breathe tests everywhere and more often than just party seasons.
Alex Einz
although he is definitely should pay for crime and all that, harshly hopefully, I cant help but wonder where on the national route there is a no sidewalk section....? I cycle there few times a month but the only place like that I could think of is where pedestrians shouldnt even be in the first place .....
sensei258
well at least he didn't deny it and didn't leave the scene
Chip Star
Tragic.
I wonder what this dude's definition of "night before" is.