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The Takamatsu public prosecutor’s office has decided to drop a criminal charge against a truck driver who was arrested in February 2017 after hitting and killing a two-year-old boy on a road in Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture.
The accident occurred on the night of Feb 21 last year, Sankei Shimbun reported. At the time, the boy was walking alone on a road in front of his home when the heavy-duty truck struck him. He immediately died from his injuries.
Police arrested the then 44-year-old truck driver on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death. The suspect was soon released from custody while the public prosecutors carried out an investigation.
Prosecutors gave no reason for their decision to drop the charge.
© Japan Today
10 Comments
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Daniel Naumoff
As I see it, they either found evidence for the child being ultimately at fault there (walking alone at late night on the road? Imbecile parents?), or the parents had withdrawn accusations. OR they finally got around how meaningless it is to admit to prisons drivers in accidental vehicular manslaughter. Which would be too advanced for Japanese, too soon, too soon...
Michael Jackson
The only logical reason is that the parents received a big fat payoff.
wtfjapan
OR they finally got around how meaningless it is to admit to prisons drivers in accidental vehicular manslaughter. I agree , drivers arent always primarily at fault in pedestrian deaths, if some moron walks out in front of your car from behind a bus how is that worthy of sending somebody to prison and ruining two lives in the process!
Blattamexiguus
What was a 2year old doing walking alone at night? Sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
Hardly superior parenting skills.
I have to feel a bit sorry for the driver.
Goodlucktoyou
1 year for the driver, 3 years for the parents. Reflection time.
Mocheake
No 2-year-old child should ever be walking anywhere alone but it could be possible a parent fell asleep and the child crawled/walked out of an open door, dog door, window, etc. There was a lack of proper supervision on a supervising adult's part. Tragic situation for all involved.
smithinjapan
I've rarely heard this kind of thing, while I often hear of driver's being arrested despite it not seeming to be their fault at all when there's an accident. I agree with posters above that if they're not giving a reason, they must have concluded there was no reason to arrest the person in the first place except to follow the outdated and ridiculous road laws.
Now, why aren't the parents being charged for allowing a two-year-old to walk alone on the road at night? THAT is negligence resulting in death.
Abbeyroad45
I remember this story, the boy was crossing a 4 lane road at night by himself because his grandparents lived on one side and parents on the other. It’s a busy road leading up to a highway, but it sounded like the family regularly let the boy cross by himself.
Daniel Naumoff
Their irresponsibility proved to be fatal, "Abbeyroad". I hope others will find just some wisdom from their example.
Mirai Hayashi
Someone has to be held responsible for this child's death. If the driver wasn't found at fault, due to negligence by the parents, then the parents need to be looked into. Letting a baby roam free in the middle of the of the night is not only negligent, it should be criminal.