crime

Crane driver arrested after girl dies in hit-and-run

20 Comments

Police said Thursday they have arrested the 59-year-old driver of a crane involved in a hit-and-run that killed an 11-year-old girl in Osaka.

According to police, the incident occurred on Wednesday at around 5:30 p.m. in Yodogawa Ward. TV Asahi reported that the girl was on her bike when she was hit by the crane at a crossing. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said.

Witnesses said the crane did not stop. Police found it two kilometers from the accident site and arrested the driver, Yoji Kitamoto.

Kitamoto was quoted by police as saying that he felt he had ran over something but did not know what, TV Asahi reported.

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20 Comments
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What a moron, I see these crane drivers everywhere in Tokyo, they bounch around at full speed without a care in the world.

There is this stupid mentality in Japan that the bigger (or more expensive) the vehicle has the right away in all cases.

16 ( +15 / -0 )

I once saw a crane driver run a red light and almost took out a young lady near Suidobashi station. The poor girl left a (watermark) on the street where it happened. I agree with "gogogo I see these crane drivers everywhere in Tokyo, they bounch around at full speed without a care in the world. There is this stupid mentality in Japan that the bigger (or more expensive) the vehicle has the right away in all cases." Also some of these truck drivers and taxi drivers do the same thing. AND nobody seems to care or call the aftermath officers.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

gogogo, yeah, there is, even for bicycles over pedestrians. The rules of the road here feel distinctly feudal at times.

11 ( +11 / -1 )

Back on topic please.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They obviously feel that because they are so big that they can easily be seen and everyone should be wary of them. RIP little girl. The lose of a child is always sad. Especially when it is due to a drivers not being careful enough.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

How can you "know you have run over something on a crossing but you dont know what" - and not even stop to see what it is??! He knew all right, and he was trying to get away with it. Wan***.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

This evening on News Zero, they played an animated simulation of the accident. The driver of the crane and the little girl were traveling the same direction together, but she was on the sidewalk. The driver made a left turn at the intersection, but I am not sure if he ran a red light. As he was making his left turn, the girl continued straight and went under the truck. The whole situation is truly sad for everyone involved.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

In a case such as this, you stop, ask the reaper (shinigami) to take oneself instead of the little girl. Still, what a coward!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

There is this stupid mentality in Japan that the bigger (or more expensive) the vehicle has the right away in all cases

Actually you are entirely incorrect. It's common knowledge amongst the Japanese that the larger vehicle is always at fault in an accident. Ask any Japanese person and they will tell you this.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

Whilst this appears to be the crane drivers fault, cyclists are constantly endangering themselves by not slowing down and looking in each direction at junctions and crossings.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Actually you are entirely incorrect. It's common knowledge amongst the Japanese that the larger vehicle is always at fault in an accident. Ask any Japanese person and they will tell you this.

This is a myth or perhaps they had something 20 years ago, ask a policeman, speaking from experience I crashed into an illegal parked dump truck on my motorbike year ago after I was blindsided, according to the police report it was 50% my fault and 50% his fault for illegally parking.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

You were not speaking of the actuality of the situation, you were speaking of Japanese's people's mentality towards the size if vehicles. The mentality, correct or not, is that the larger vehicle is at fault.

So I still stand by my statement that you were entirely incorrect.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Strangerland: Then we are saying the same thing.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

No, you were saying the mentality is that the larger vehicle has the right of way, meaning they would not be at fault in an accident with something smaller. I'm saying the mentality is that the larger vehicle is always at fault, which would mean that the mentality is that the larger vehicle does not have the right of way.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Strangerland: I don't know what you are trying to say, so I'll say what I was trying to say again, people in Japan think (incorrectly) that a larger vehicle is at fault in an accident. They think this the case, but this is not true and not the law.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

he felt he had ran over something but did not know what

I am pretty sure hitting a person would make a big enough impact to make a person get out of their vehicle to see what went on. RIP to the girl and peace be with her family.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What a stupid bastard!! Poor little girl killed by this old idiot goat! I wish I could say only in Osaka, but these kind of heartless fools are all over the place, Saitama, here in Tokyo, etc..RIP poor little 11 year old little girl

2 ( +2 / -0 )

how sad, she was only 11. curse that damn driver!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Another very sad day involving a child. Summer vacation and she has to die. Too sad to continue on here.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Actually you are entirely incorrect. It's common knowledge amongst the Japanese that the larger vehicle is always at fault in an accident. Ask any Japanese person and they will tell you this.

Couldn't agree more! I've heard this many times in my 15 years here. One thing I've noticed a lot of, is that larger vehicle drivers, especially truck drivers, tend to think they own the roads! Almost had a truck run my car off the road years ago, on a dual carriageway, simply because he didn't want me to go past him. Just one of several incidents.

This crane driver showed absolute irresponsibility and should be charged with manslaughter.

RIP to the little girl.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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