crime

74-year-old driver arrested for hitting 2 elementary school children

11 Comments

Police in Kasuga, Fukuoka Prefecture, said Saturday they have arrested a 74-year-old woman after she hit and injured two elementary school children with her car on Friday.

Police said Toyoko Takahashi, a resident of Nakagawa City, has been charged with reckless driving resulting in injury.

According to police, the incident occurred just before 6 p.m. on Friday as the first-grade boy and third-grade girl were both walking on a pedestrian crossing. Witnesses said the students were crossing at a green light while the traffic signal for cars was clearly red.

The girl suffered a head injury and broken right leg, while the boy sustained injuries to his head and back. Police said they were in a stable condition.

Following her arrest, Takahashi was quoted by police as saying, “At the time, the sunset was so blinding that I couldn’t see the traffic signal.”

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11 Comments
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Yokohamarides - 

I guess you don’t get to the beach much or go camping or have a large family to move around.

Wrong and wrong, and we’re a happy car-free family of four.

We often take the train, and sometimes, bike the 25 kms to Zushi or Kamakura.

And overnight bike packing trips to Izu are the best.

Buying a cargo bike (a Yuba Mundo) instead of s car was the best investment our family ever made.

The money we saved every year by not owning car has allowed us to buy a house in a great city close to great public transportation.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Fingers crossed for the victims. This story begs the question why the Ikebukuro driver was not arrested for killing that mother and child the other day.

Regarding the sun-blinded comment, it does happen, but would it actually affect the punishment? I presume it doesn't, and it certainly shouldn't for locals who should be expected to know where every traffic light is regardless of what the sun is doing.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Yokohamarides -

I guess you don’t get to the beach much or go camping or have a large family to move around.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Interesting comment! Does this mean you will stop driving when you are 70? Being blinded by the sun at sundown is a real thing and happens to every driver at one time or another regardless of age. This is what you call, an accident. Perhaps you’ve heard of it before?

This is one big reason why I stopped driving when I was 35 - accidents happen and everyone makes mistakes - but mistakes made with 2000 kilograms of steel moving at high speeds kill people.

By replacing those 2000 kilos of steel with an 80 kilogram(bike + rider) steel(is real) bicycle, my chances of killing someone, even if I make a mistake, are now close to virtually impossible - vs. happens multiple times every day with drivers.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

If the sun was so bright why not wear sunglasses? And as Mirai said, it's a basic rule that if you cannot see you either stop or slow down to an appropriate speed. Blaming the sun is saying you knew there was a problem but you did nothing about it, and now 2 children are badly hurt.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

I know she is 74, but I have been in a similar situation multiple times where I could hardly see the signal color. The difference being that the lights were either green for me and I slowed down to make sure or it was red and I stopped. Is it an age related issue that she didn't stop or could someone younger have made this decision not to stop when they couldn't see?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Vince Black - wake up Japan. Two children could've been murdered because another elderly driver thinks they're capable of driving. She said she could see the signal, she didn't say she couldn't see the kids. Blaming things on the sun now, ridiculous

Interesting comment! Does this mean you will stop driving when you are 70? Being blinded by the sun at sundown is a real thing and happens to every driver at one time or another regardless of age. This is what you call, an accident. Perhaps you’ve heard of it before.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

"...I couldn’t see the traffic signal.” Just an excuse; a pathetic appeal for mercy. It is time for her to turn in her driving license to the nearest police station.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

@Bugle Boy of Company B

If your view is obstructed, you should be driving at very slow speed...basic driving law.

I also call BS because every one seemed to be able to see the light was red.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Obviously you don't drive, Vince. It's very likely the signal and the children appeared at different angles from the driver's point of view - and the sun being behind the children at sunset is completely possible.

0 ( +10 / -10 )

wake up Japan. Two children could've been murdered because another elderly driver thinks they're capable of driving. She said she could see the signal, she didn't say she couldn't see the kids. Blaming things on the sun now, ridiculous

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

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