Dump truck driver arrested over death of 7-year-old boy

If is very about this young boy both for him,his family and the man driving the truck. The man should be taken into custady by the police to determan what happend. It could be just a very sad accedent or the driver was driving way over the speed limit. I live in Japan and the Speed Limit in front of my house is 15kph because it is a resedental area but many cars will be moving at least 30kph to 60kph and faster at that 4am to 9am every day. I have lived here for over 12 years and I have seen only 5 Police redar Speed checks in that time frame. I worry that someone will get hit someday and I am sure it will happen only a mater of when.

So sad, getting tired of reading these articles .. RIP LITTLE ONE.

Props to the driver for calling the police and waiting. Hope he doesn't get in trouble.

I'll second that: Why on earth was this child outside, wandering around by himself at 4:40am? I feel for the driver of the dump truck. Who would expect anything like this on your route to work at such an early hour? It doesn't absolve him of his responsibilities as a driver to be aware of his surroundings, of course. But for heaven's sake, it must have been hard to see that boy under those conditions.

Parents are negligent and need to be prosecuted for child endangerment or something , even manslaughter might fit. What is it with the world and the younger generations these days, too busy playing xbox or pachinko or something were they?

I'll wait for more details before jumping to any conclusions. I dare say, however, that if your 7 year old decided to sneak out of the house at 4:30 in the morning that you might be hard pressed to stop them.

Who would expect anything like this on your route to work at such an early hour?

It's not illegal to be 7 years old and a pedestrian at 4 am. Unusual, yes, but a pro trucker knows the road is a shared space, not a racetrack.

@Kaimycahl Can you give me an example as to why a 7 year old would be out walking on roads at around 4am? I can't think of any genuine reason for it. The "This is the Japanese way" argument is very weak. I'm betting we could all ask our Japanese friends and families and they would say 7 year olds should not be out walking streets at 4am.

kamiycahl -

@blubris my Japanese friends think different from yours. The word should is very weak but some kids are out that early

my youngest is 7 years old, and I would not allow her to go outside by herself THAT early in the morning. And I'm Japanese (well, mixed.. but I grew up in Japan and still live in Japan).

at 4:40am it's still dark and the weather was bad on Monday. the driver should have been more careful but I feel sorry for him. a 7 year old should not be out on the street alone that early.

Sensenotsocommon,

It's not illegal to be 7 years old and a pedestrian at 4 am. Unusual, yes, but a pro trucker knows the road is a shared space, not a racetrack.

Neither I nor anyone else here said it was illegal. The sentiment I expressed was "unexpected" couched in a broader comment about the driver still being responsible for awareness of his surroundings.

And how you came to the conclusion that the truck driver was using the road in question as a "racetrack" is curious. Were you there? Did you witness this tragedy? Or did you simply assume in your haste to chasten me for something I didn't actually say?

If you're genuinely trying to argue that it's perfectly reasonable and entirely predictable for a 7-year-old to be wandering the streets alone at 4:40AM, then I strongy recommend you eschew having children, if you haven't already.

kaimycahl,

Parents allowing a 7-year-old child to wander the streets at 4:40 a.m. is not a common feature of Japanese culture or society, or even a "sometimes" feature of Japanese culture or society. Sending children to the store or seeing them off to ride the train alone occurs during the day, when there are a number of responsible adults clearly present to help ensure small children do not run into trouble.

Not so at night. There's no reasonable justification for parents to send their child outside alone at 4:40 a.m. None. This isn't just a Western sentiment. It's a Japanese one as well. Which is why the article mentions the police questioning the child's family to find out why he was outside by himself so early in the morning.

Personally, I don't think the parents sent the child out. I think he got up and wandered out on his own. But that's just my opinion.

Speaking of which, you'de be more likely to get people to respect your opinion if you didn't end it with an announcement that you have no intention of respecting the opinions of others. "Blah blah blah?" That's obnoxious.

Bootht - you have been here long enough to realise that, road rules are only guidelines to be abused until the rare accession a driver gets busted. Speeding and running red lights are the way people drive here. Every day I see some wanker with his foot flat to the floor racing to get through the next green light. I've been clipped by cars half a dozen times as a pedestrian. Twice I just took ¥40,000 instead of waking up the police cos the driver stopped to abuse me for being in his way. The other times I just wrote it off. Gambling is illegal in Japan until you get on the roads!

In this case, the driver was ''probably' speeding and driving like a donkey's butt, but the kid should not have been wandering around at 4am. It's a circumstance Vs consequence scenario! The only only thing I do is, it's not the kid's fault!

What an awful, tragic incident. My heart goes out to both families affected - the driver's, and the little boy's.

but what on earth was a child doing walking around unaccompanied at that time?

Sad story all around. Poor driver and poor kid :(

@blubris my Japanese friends think different from yours. The word should is very weak but some kids are out that early

You would be surprised to see and know the responsibilities that many 5 -7+ year olds do in Japan. I have seen them get on the train by themselves and go to school or perhaps the parents get off only to leave the child to continue on to his train stop. How do we not know what this young guy parents were doing at this time. We don't know we don't live in his house hold. Most people seem to think "what was the parents doing" the parents were doing what they always have been doing. For those of you who live in Japan with your western ways please don't try to enforce them on a peoples way of life thinking what they do in their country is wrong. What works one place may not work in the other thats all I am saying and we don't know if the parents did or did not send the child out at that time. Ok here come the blah blah blah

So, will the parents be arrested too? What was a 4-year-old doing wandering the streets at 4am?

@LFRAgain

Please wait for me to contact the Pay apology agencies to say 'I'm sorry' it’s just too hard for me to do it myself blah!

What I don't understand is why people here are questioning the parents lack of knowledge of their kids being out so early or so late. Japan is considered safe (they say) so people BORN AND RAISED in Japan all their lives think of this as no problem unlike the people who post here are from other countries. Why question something that has worked for the people in Japan for years. The answer is simple that's this has been done for years that's why nothing has changed. What most posters may considered wrong people in Japan has no problem with it! Yes the little guy died but life goes on and it won't changed a thing in Japan kids will still be up early and out later!