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An 84-year-old man and his 81-year-old wife were killed after they were hit and killed by a car in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward, police said Tuesday.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. Monday. The car, driven by Koei Makishi, 50, hit the couple, Tokuya Kunuki and his wife Yoshiko, as they crossed the road at an intersection with no traffic lights.
The couple were taken to hospital where they died shortly after arrival.
Police said Makishi has been arrested on suspicion of reckless driving resulting in death. He was quoted as saying he knew he was going too fast and didn’t see anyone on the crossing until it was too late.
© Japan Today
10 Comments
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Luddite
I put good money on some idiots blaming the old people, as they seem to be getting the blame for every RTA at the moment.
painted
may their souls rest in peace, even though they blamed him of reckless driving, its something which can happen to anyone.
maybeperhapsyes
@painted
You speak for yourself mate.
I drive responsibly...as should everyone else.
Always slow down at crossings and intersections.
Disillusioned
Well, that's not unusual at all. It's not often I see cars sticking to speed limits, especially in back streets where the speed limit is 20-30kph. I've actually been abused by other drivers for driving at the speed limit. Again, this is the result of passive policing. They need to put speed bumps and other speed inhibiting devices on all roads with low speed limits. There are too many irresponsible donkey's butt drivers out there.
Goodlucktoyou
tough one here. agree with @maybe. drivers need to realise there are a lot of dementia people wandering around. but, 50km on countryside roads is ridiculous and 80km on highways the same. always slow down on corners and small villages, at times when school kids are around, and don't speed in narrow city streets. 250,000km driving in Japan and never had an accident.
Alex Einz
eye for an eye, him hanging and family to pay to surviving family till the end of their lives, its basically murder with intent since he knew he is going too fast...
yokohamarides
Reckless driving resulting in the death of an innocent person, isn't something that "happens", it is something that only reckless car drivers can do.
Getting killed by a reckless car driver IS something that can happen to anyone.
Steven Fennel
I'm not defending the driver here, but many a time I've seen these old folks wander out onto a road without a care, expecting drivers to be aware of them. And at 9:40 at night? Well, despite the sense of entitlement that age brings, everyone should be aware of drivers on the roads
yokohamarides
Yes you are.
And how about the sociopathic entitlement that driving seems to bring out in people?
Drivers don't seem to care about rules designed to protect people, and they don't care about other users of the road - they believe the road space, and by extension, the city itself, was made for them alone. IOW the crosswalks are for drivers, the sidewalks, and the bike lanes are for drivers to park in - and when their entitlement is challenged they become aggressive, dangerous, and quick to blame anyone but themselves when accidents occur.
Kabukilover
Refusing to stop for pedestrians or not watching for pedestrians is a national epidemic in Japan. "He was quoted as saying he knew he was going too fast and didn’t see anyone on the crossing until it was too late." This is no excuse. The creep killed two innocent people. He ought to get life.