Police in Yokohama said Sunday they have arrested a 24-year-old man on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death after the car he was driving hit and killed a 3-year-old girl.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 8:30 a.m. Saturday in Konan Ward. Kyodo News reported that the driver, Tetsuya Masuda, a company employee, had gone to the internet cafe with Hitomi Yazaki, 22, and her daughter Akane. The three live together, police said.
Masuda was quoted by police as saying that as he was backing the car out of the parking lot, when he mistakenly pressed the accelerator and then the brake one after the other, hitting Yazaki and her daughter.
Yazaki and Akane were taken to hospital where the child died due to severe head injuries, while her mother suffered a broken collarbone.
© Japan Today
28 Comments
Login to comment
Kaowaiinekochanknaw
Horrible
momoclo
The mother must be inconsolable.
WA4TKG
R I P
Spidey
Very very tragic.
But isn't an "accident" sometimes just an "accident?"
S
Mr Kipling
No an "accident" is something that cannot be avoided. This is an incident caused by the driver's actions.
Could have easily been avoided if they put the kid in the car, in a child safety seat... BEFORE starting the engine.
CaptDingleheimer
This seems to be common occurrence in Japan, where parents often let them run ahead in supermarket parking lots (and other parking areas obviously). Regular exposure to these stories has certainly made me hyper-vigilant in parking lots with my own little guy.
3RENSHO
If the driver had been using his right foot for the accelerator, and his left foot for the brake, then this accident could have been avoided.
SAME#
Why was he backing out without wife and kid inside? I never understand this part but it seems common in Japan.
GuruMick
I dont know the facts of this incident but I observe negligent parents not taking care of their kids on footpaths, road way and driveways everyday of the week .
Actually I'm not surprised when these accidents occur.
Parents...lift your game !!!
Jpnray
@Mr KiplingToday
look up the meaning of accident!
Mr Kipling
The term "accident" is no longer used in the UK in relation to traffic "incidents". The word incident is used deliberately to imply that it could have been avoided. Not deliberate but at least one party in the unfortunate event could and should have prevented it. There are many cases on JT every year of parents running their own kids over in parking lots. Its really difficult to do this if the kids are INSIDE the car.
rainyday
If you have kids, the best rule is that the car doesn’t move until after the kids are in it, and the kids stay in it until it is stopped and the engine off.
Too many parents in Japan ignore this and back the car out before the passengers get in, or let them out before parking, thinking it is a courtesy but oblivious to the danger they are creating. As a parent it drives me nuts when I see it.
Lindsay
Yeah, but, the question remains, why were the mother and daughter standing behind a reversing car?
Joe Blow
Yep, they either drop them off first and then go find parking, or the wife says go get the car first to run the heat/AC before picking us up.
I thought everyone here backs in to park though?
Jacobo
Driving is an art that requires the full attention of the driver. I have driven in many countries and cities and I know by my own experience how careless are the drivers in this world.
In such a developed and highly motorized country, Japanese experts should create a new training and examination system based on the recorded knowledge of everyday lethal traffic accidents.
RIP
Tom San
Left foot on brake and right foot on accelerator is an invitation to this kind of accident especially when backing up your car. If you're driving an automatic, use only your right foot (unless you're on a racetrack).
Rodney
Who takes their family to an Internet cafe at 8:30am on a Saturday?
Jonathan Prin
Always see any children staying in safe position (either inside the car or holding hand of another person) when backing.
Japanese are known to be very poor drivers, probably because they don´t drive much. By experience, it is true and one can see that in parking lots way too many times.
I lectured heavily each of my 3 kids about danger in parking lots.
Note that the driver was not the father.
When reading articles in JT, there are so many couples with issue where father is never to be seen.
Speed
RIP to the little girl. I feel so sorry for all of them.
therougou
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accident
Interesting
kaimycahl
@Spidey I totally agree an accident is nothing but an UNPLANNED event!
Very very tragic.
But isn't an "accident" sometimes just an "accident?"
Mirai Hayashi
I originally thought this was an old people thing, but I honestly don't understand how anyone can mistake the gas and brake pedals. . I drive both auto and manual transmission cars, and I hardly ever use the gas pedal when backing out of the space. In most cars, the engine speed at idle is more than enough to back the car out of a space. And in a manual car, I ride the hell out of the clutch and use the gas pedal very conservatively.
Even if you mistake the gas and brake (again, I don't see how), why gun the gas???
Three goals
Yes, common. Also reverse parking. Almost everyone does it. Can be dangerous at times at a busy supermarket carpark with the odd dangerous driver entering.