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Hokkaido Prefectural Police have arrested a 61-year-old assistant police inspector on suspicion of dangerous driving resulting in death after the patrol car he was driving hit and killed a pedestrian on Sunday.
The incident occurred around 8:10 p.m. on a street in Sapporo Shiroishi Ward, Kyodo New reported. Noriyuki Kodate, an inspector in the police department’s Community Affairs Division, was arrested at the scene. There was no crossing at the site of the accident. Police quoted Kodate as saying, “I wasn’t looking ahead carefully.”
A witness said the victim appeared to be hunched over on the street just before the accident. He was rushed to hospital, suffering from severe head injuries, but died last Sunday.
Before the accident occurred, Kodate and another police officer was responding to a noise complaint in Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo City. The patrol car's red light was flashing but its siren was not on at the time of the accident.
© Japan Today
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Jacobo
@ vic.M
Right on spot.
therougou
The Japanese articles say the victim's position was "uzukumatta", which I think would be closer to sitting crouched down in a ball - in the middle of the street, nonetheless. That is a big difference from someone just standing hunched over, as this JT article implies. As the officer was on duty and probably looking around in all directions, it's easy to see how he could've run him over.
shogun36
Translation: “I was texting instead of paying attention to the road.”
lock him up
vic.M
I have been driving in Japan for more than 30 years and every night I encounter people wandering across the dark roads without even looking, even knowing that a car is coming. Others crossing pedestrian crossings while in the red ( and on bikes) Take in to account that many Japanese wear dark clothes.
A lot of streets in Japan are not well lit, so I don't understand why the driver would be arrested for hitting someone hunched over on the road. I must admit that I have had a few close calls by the morons who just don't take care. These things have happened where people have been walking on the road whilst there is a footpath right next to them.
Rodney
Accidents happen. It’s life. Sorry for families involved.
snowymountainhell
Tragic. 6am edition gives no age for the victim and reads like the deceased was possibly bent over and sustained fatal head injuries from the impact ?
sakurasuki
That also happen in other part of Japan before, do they really need driving training again?
https://japantoday.com/category/national/4-year-old-boy-seriously-injured-after-being-struck-by-police-car
AgentX
This honestly sounds really unfortunate.