crime

Driver arrested after car hits 5 children on crossing

17 Comments

Police in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, have arrested a 69-year-old woman on suspicion of reckless driving resulting in injury after her vehicle hit five children returning home from school on Wednesday.

According to police, the incident occurred at an intersection at around 3:15 p.m., Sankei Shimbun reported. Five elementary school children were crossing the street on a green light when a light car, driven by Chieko Kiname, turned left and hit them.

The five children were all taken to hospital. One girl suffered a broken right wrist and chin injury, while the other children sustained minor injuries.

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17 Comments
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elephant200 - Elderly people must take driving test at the age over 70! This is very necessary

She is 69!

The problem is not cognitive or driver skill. The problem is carelessness.

15 ( +16 / -1 )

Just happy the children didn't suffer severe injuries

12 ( +12 / -0 )

I've been hit twice, when I was riding my bicycle, by taxi drivers (Tokyo) that made the same mistake as that woman. Some drivers don't bother checking for pedestrians when they turn left, or they think pedestrians should yield to cars.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

This system is open to these accidents. How can traffic and pedestrians both have green lights?

It's the one thing the UK does properly - dedicated lights for drivers and then for pedestrians.

This system in Japan is just to free up the traffic flow, regardless of child safety.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Hi-tech country, lo-tech traffic systems.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Thank god she wasn't a highly placed ex Beauracrat now they can arrest her immediately. No sever injuries just a long lasting fear of crossing a road on a green(blue) light.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

The problem is with Japan’s traffic light system. Light is green for pedestrians crossing BUT also green for cars turning left. The reason is to give pedestrians more time to cross. However, this requires the car driver to pay attention to those crossing and not just blindly think green means go.

Instead of giving them more time to cross it increases their chances of being run down.

In the UK( a much lower frequency of road traffic accidents than Japan), when pedestrians are crossing......Cars are on a red light.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

At the end of the day, pedestrian lights in Japan only tell pedestrians to cross when they think drivers won't run them over. I've seen so many drivers here who don't bother looking left when turning left or right when turning right. And I've seen drivers who can see you crossing but still don't give a damn. As a pedestrian, I actually feel safer in UK and US.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Although the same people who drive are the ones who often are pedestrians too, when the latter are in the driver's seat they think the roads are theirs and ignore and disrespect those who walk the same roads. Instilling respect for and the right of pedestrians, cross walks or not, is a task this country has not accomplished since the start of motorization. Shame. And yes, one feels safer in the UK, the US and I may add in for example the Netherlands where drivers always stop for pedestrians.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Here we go again. How could she not have seen five kids crossing on a GREEN light. As long as unfit elderly drivers assault the roads with their presence no one will be safe

so great that none of the innocent kids were killed. This woman has no excuse

1 ( +10 / -9 )

@presto345

Instilling respect for and the right of pedestrians, cross walks or not, is a task this country has not accomplished since the start of motorization.

Seems drivers in Japan think they become nobility in regal carriages as soon as they get behind the wheel. "Out of my way, peasant!"

1 ( +2 / -1 )

69 isn't old for some, but ... there has to be some way of identifying those at risk of causing trouble on the roads when in charge of a vehicle.

As for the Kids, I feel sorry for them, as too their Parents - had I received such news, after the initial anxiety, followed by the relief of knowing my Kid was okay, I'd then next want to have a confrontation with the Perpetrator - which may not work out well for them - the Police would naturally be anticipating that and holding that person under lock & key... which is, what I presume they are doing at present.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

TigersTokyoDome..... The system in Japan isn’t to free up traffic flow. The traffic light system is actually designed to reduce the average overall speed of traffic. They were misguided into thinking that lower speeds equaled fewer accidents. When in reality, smooth flowing traffic not constant stop/start is safer.

Red means stop but Green does not mean go... Its meaning is proceed with caution.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

green light for vehicles when it’s green for pedestrians should be stopped especially in a country like Japan with old drivers

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Again and again, old drivers causing accidents.

Enough is enough, no more political correctness

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

She is 69!

Hate to break it to you, 69 is old.

The problem is not cognitive or driver skill. The problem is carelessness.

Really. You can tell that from this article?

When it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, usually, it's a duck. An elderly driver plowed into a group of kids. With the amount of elderly drivers causing accidents lately, it's safe to assume it wasn't just carelessness.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Elderly people must take driving test at the age over 70! This is very necessary

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

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