crime

5-year-old girl dies after being hit by car in Yokohama

17 Comments

A five-year-old girl died after being hit by a car while crossing a street in Yokohama on Sunday, police said, adding they have arrested the 21-year-old driver of the car.

According to police, the incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. Riria Otani, a resident of Naka Ward, was hit on the two-lane road, Sankei Shimbun reported. She was with her mother who was not injured. Riria suffered severe head injuries and died in hospital about 90 minutes later.

Police said the driver, Takumi Shitate, a company employee from Tokyo’s Chofu City, has been charged with dangerous driving resulting in death.

Visibility was good at the time of the accident. Police said Shitate, who was driving a rental car, told them he “took his eye of the road for a second” just before he hit the girl.

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17 Comments
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What a tragedy. I can't imagine the agony that the Mother must be in after witnessing this. RIP

8 ( +9 / -1 )

So sad and so ironic. Here the police are trying again in their Fall Campaign to remind both adults and children about traffic safety and something tragic like this happens. Did the child dart out at that crosswalk? With all the bicycles there at the side of the road, visibility would have been nil. Because of that problem alone, this looks like more of a city issue, not a driver issue. What driver has not taken their eyes off the road "for a second" while they adjust their mirror or adjust the A/C or change channels on the radio? And, as he was a tourist, he may have been checking a map or directions. We'll see what is reported after the investigation, but it is highly advised that pedestrians become more engaged in "defensive walking."

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

Mobile phone distracted!!

Rip

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

The Japanese was "注意を怠った", which translates more to "I did not pay enough attention". And by the way, the victim's name is Riria, not Ririka. She was crossing a two lane road, it seems not at a cross walk.

Moderator: Thanks for the name correction.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Visibility was good at the time of the accident. Police said Shitate, who was driving a rental car, told them he “took his eye of the road for a second” just before he hit the girl.

Sometimes when I'm waiting for the light to change at a crosswalk at a busy street I'll take a good look at all the drivers as they pass by to see how many are looking at their cell phones. Its usually about 1 in 4 or so, which is outrageous. The police need to be cracking down HARD on this, the problem is just out of control.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

People should start paying more attention to what's in front of them- Things like this happen all the time because people are distracted by something else. I feel so sorry for the families who lose loved ones because of stupid reasons like this..

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@Tokyo-m

I don't disagree, I think we are still a ways off, but hopefully we can move more and more towards automated vehicles and/or public transit. Honestly, the vast majority of people in Tokyo should never need to be driving their own vehicles. Countryside could take longer, but I think we can still get there. It doesn't have to be substance-induced, a brief lapse of attention and cars can be absolutely fatal.

The less people that actually need to be on the road, the less likely a sad accident like this will be. We probably will never totally prevent it, but even one life saved is worth it.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

It always surprises me here in Japan when I see carefree parents several feet away (sometimes nowhere to be seen) from their very small children in busy parking lots and along busy roads.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

It always surprises me here in Japan when I see carefree parents several feet away (sometimes nowhere to be seen) from their very small children in busy parking lots and along busy roads.

It always surprises me when people feel the need to respond to news about people getting hit and killed by drivers - without knowing any of the details of what happened - with knee jerk victim blaming.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Furthermore, I’m often surprised by how thin skinned people can be.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Driving home a few days ago a 15 year old or so boy just ran onto the road in front of me ,like a startled deer or something.

Reflexes kicked in and I swerved around him as he backtracked the way he came......I called him a name ....rhymes with "punt "

Lesson for me is that you CAN NEVER be distracted on Japanese roads which are narrow and have tiny footpaths and no room for error.

RIP the little girl .

6 ( +8 / -2 )

We must stop all left turns when the pedestrian green light is on. There are many such accidents. I have also noticed certain drivers increase speed while taking such turns.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I never allowed my 3 kids to be more away that I could save them by pulling them if needed in car parks or in the streets until 7 , especially in Japan, punishing them if fleeing just too far from me.

Parental behaviour saves life.

The car did not appear from nowhere where as the opposite can be true.

Children's life is cheap with what you read in articles every other day.

Rest in piece little girl.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

People drive unsafely where I live. It's a real problem. Sometimes they post a cop on the corner, maybe once a year. I'm in a suburb at the foot of a mountain and people seem very much in a hurry to zip to and from their houses. The streets are narrow with traffic going both ways and vehicles often having to stop to let each other get through. I live next to a turn and it's almost blind. Cars have to be very careful to make the turn because it's narrow. We live right on the road and we have very small children. I'm worried every day about this. I was thinking of building a fence but it's costly.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

One can't have police everywhere to ensure your children's life.

Bad drivers are there. Bear it by acknowledgment of that fact and as a parent adapt to protect your kids from risky environment. "Japan is safe" is a lie. Japan is safer on average is the truth.

That girl was supposed to be part of our future. So sad.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It is not about the countries safe, accident is an accident where ever you are ( at Jonathan Prin )

2 ( +2 / -0 )

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