crime

Driver hits 78-year-old man; then takes him home where he later dies

16 Comments

Police in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture, have arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of dangerous driving resulting in death after he struck a 78-year-old pedestrian and then took him home where he died.

According to police, the incident occurred at a T-junction just before 9 a.m. on May 6, Kyodo News reported. Police said the driver, Yuki Koide, a caregiver, hit Yasuo Azumaya. He stopped and helped Azumaya into his car and drove him home.

Koide called the police at around 11 a.m. to report the accident. Police said he told them, “I hit a pedestrian and drove him back to his home. I went back to check on his condition, but he is unconscious and not breathing.” 

When police and emergency personnel arrived at Azumaya’s apartment, he was declared dead.

Police said Koide has denied the charge and quoted him as saying, “He (Azumaya) told me he was alright and that he had just fallen down, so I didn’t report the incident.”

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16 Comments
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I knew a guy who hit an old woman on his motorbike. He phoned the ambulance but the old lady refused to go to the hospital and went home where she later died. Her family got him arrested and he spent time in jail for manslaughter....the old "if you pay the family X amount of money, we can forget this" Japan justice was offered but he refused because he said that she refused to get into the ambulance and go to hospital and so it was her fault. He freely admitted that he hit her but if she had gone to the hospital she wouldn't have died....pretty rough justice IMO

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A similar incident happened in Hill Valley, California, in the 50’s. A local man took a pedestrian he hit to his home, to recover.

Except the victim was an 18 year old kid identified only as “Calvin Klein” and was never heard of afterwards.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Subdural hematoma. No acute symptoms. Poor man and shattered caregiver. Life can become brutal in an instant...Requiescat in pace, Ojiichan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

At least the caregiver didn’t leave the guy by the side of the road to die…

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Better than doing a hit and run but he should have been firm and taken the guy to a hospital. This is a classic case of how Japan's mentality of not wanting to be a bother to people, even when they get hit with a car apparently, can backfire. It should be simple logic and reaction to call the cops and/or the ambulance when accidents like this happen.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The second thing is then protect yourself by calling the authorites that way the authorities could verify that the victim refused your help.

I agree 100% but knowing Japan's justice system, you will still be arrested even if the police were present when the old man made his choice.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

To protect yourself that is the best thing to do is call the authorities regardless whether or not the person refuses your help. Self report, its better than getting that knock at your door and being placed under arrest for not doing anything at all even if the person refuses your help. The first thing to do is help the victim don't try ti move them as this may only increase injuries that may have occurred just tell them to stay where they are. Don't touch them. The second thing is then protect yourself by calling the authorites that way the authorities could verify that the victim refused your help.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Better than what usually happens, but still not acceptable

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

What I'm curious about is how did the driver know that the old man was "unconscious and not breathing" in his home? He went inside to check ?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

I bet the old man insisted he was fine. At least the driver didn't just drive off as is usually the case. Should have taken him to a hospital no matter what - but I'm sure he had no bad intentions.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I can relate. This happen years ago, but a relative and i were driving and also hit someone on the side of the car. The old man fell down. We wanted to bring him to a hospital but the man refuse and said he was fine. He didn't had any scratches and just wanted to go home. So we didn't do anything except leave him our number and let him go on his way.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Who knows, after taking him away from the spot he could even have beaten him to death afterwards and putting those injuries also onto the accident. Very strange that all and very suspicious, normally one would just only quickly provide some first aid and call an ambulance and / or police but not take the victim to another place for hiding.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

A fatally stupid decision on top of careless driving. The driver, “a caregiver” by trade (according to translator/writer here) and he didn’t know to just call 110 at the scene? Reads more like he was trying to avoid consequences at the scene than really caring for the injured’s well-being.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

Why did the driver go back to check on the pedestrian's condition if he thought he was alright? The driver should have taken the pedestrian to the hospital immediately instead of home.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

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