crime

Hokkaido man dragged 24 kilometers in fatal hit-and-run

30 Comments

Police said Monday that the body of a man who was killed in a hit-and-run accident on Jan 2 was found 24 kilometers away from the stretch of road where it is believed he was hit.

Hokkaido Prefectural Police have identified the victim as 80-year-old Kiyoshi Asakura, who has been missing since the evening of Jan 2, and determined he was hit on a road in the town of Naie, based on bloodstains and bits of clothing found on the road.

Asakura was discovered by a passerby on a road in Bibai City. The person left the scene to report to police that a man was lying on the road. When he returned about a minute later, the body had disappeared. About 40 minutes later, the body was discovered on a bridge over the Ishikari River, 16 kilometers away.

Police believe that Asakura was hit in Naie and dragged to nearby Bibai, where his body was then hit by a second vehicle which brought him a total of 24 kilometers to the location where the body was finally discovered.

An investigator said, "We don't have any leads yet. I've never heard of anyone being dragged this far before in a hit-and-run."

© News reports

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

30 Comments
Login to comment

unbelievable

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The person left the scene to report to police that a man was lying on the road.

You'd think maybe somebody finding an old guy lying in the middle of the road would at least drag him off to the side? Or stand over him to make sure something like this doesn't happen? Or at least call the cops on your keitai, and stand there to flag down cars and tell them to be careful? I know it says the dude only left for a minute, but still.

This is horrible.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How does one run over a body and a) not notice b) not notice your car running a bit sluggishly? And shouldn't it be called a 'hit and drag' versus a 'hit and run'?

Sad news for Asakura's family.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

yes it is horrible and it gives food for thought about the fatal hit and run that occured in Yomitan Okinawa.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think they teach "hit-and-run" in driving schools here.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

One can only hope that he was already dead, or died fairly quickly, after being hit by the second vehicle, and did not suffer for 24 kilometers. God rest his soul.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"And shouldn't it be called a 'hit and drag' versus a 'hit and run'?"

The "run" part refers to the culprit fleeing the scene after striking someone or something. So if you want to be specific about it, it might be called, "hit, drag, and run." In any case, I agree. How does one drag a body for 8 and then 16 kilometers and not notice anything unusual? Drunk driving probably had something to do with it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I'm surprised they were able to identify the body. One would think that there would be very little identifiable flesh left on a body after being dragged on asphalt for 24 km...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

People are in their own dream bubble wen driving in Japan.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think this really depends on the circumstances of the accident. Though regardless, its hard to believe someone could hit someone, drag them for a long ways, and not realize what they had done.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

" surprised they were able to identify the body. One would think that there would be very little identifiable flesh left on a body after being dragged on asphalt for 24 km..."

Don't think this will brighten your day, but if he was face up in the undercarriage, all the identifiable bits, even a breast pocket wallet, would be spared. Assume also that he was bundled up for Hokkaido on Jan. 2, and it makes sense. I am also guessing he was dragged on ice. Sad.

Actually, I wonder how they determined cause of death. An 80 year old guy on a cold day in Hokkaido could buy the farm just by slipping and falling.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Just wondering. Assuming it is a crime to hit a dead man who is lying in the middle of road, what is the charge? Negligence? Reckless driving?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What a horrible story! I feel sorry for his family...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This guy was hit twice and neither driver stopped to see what had happened?! Nasty images. Nasty drivers. Can only hope the old guy went quickly...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

cactus... I think there is no serious crime for hitting a dead man in the middle of the road. If you knew you did it, then there are weird charges for abusing corpses, damage to property, probably. If you did not know he was dead, and how could you, there might be other interesting charges.

dolphingirl... I think the story said "The person left the scene to report to police that a man was lying on the road. When he returned about a minute later, the body had disappeared."

This implies that he was alive the second time he was hit, but wait...why would she leave a LIVE INJURED person in the middle of the road like that? Alternatively, if he was dead, why not move him? And... a minute later she returned? What is it with these JT stories? They are never cut and dried. They all look really suspicious. Either that or everyone who comes within a hundred feet of a crime in Japan turns into a pathological liar. I guess I have witnessed the latter a few times, but sheesh.

Poor guy. To me, it is comforting to believe that he was bumper hitching, and just had some bad luck.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Have you witnessed how the heavy construction and commerce trucks drive-there's no surprise at the dual hit and run. An accident means they'll lose the better part of a day waiting for the police, answering questions, getting fined, etc. Easier to hose off all the evidence, as Japanese keep ALL their vehicles immaculately clean (which is nice).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Poor old man. Had only got to see the first day of the new year. MHSRIP.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

this is what happens when you drive with your head up your ass...more surprising that its not a weekly occurance

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How does one run over a body and a) not notice b) not notice your car running a bit sluggishly?

Perhaps, he was struck by a big truck with more ground clearance than a regular car? I could see that as a plausible reason, for not noticing you've just struck a body and dragged it for a fair distance...plausible, but necessarily believable.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Maybe they did it on purpose. Just a thought.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Gruesome way to go.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not trying to exonerate the second driver, but it is quite possible to drag something with the undercarriage of a car a long way without noticing. If the driver fails to notice the object in his driving path and then the sound from striking it, that is.. The first driver MUST have noticed knocking the man to the ground.

A traffic cone generates a considerable amount of noise during dragging, but people are much more soft and pliable. Think about the sound of a sack of potatoes being dragged, with clothes to further muffle sounds. If the poor guy was unconscious or dead during the contact with the second car, he wouldn't even scream. Plus the white noise generated by driving through icy/snowy conditions and possible music inside the car would make it difficult to hear.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Obviously nobody here lives in Hokkaido... The weather was quite bad here during the NYE to 2nd stretch and there was well over 15 cm of fresh in many locations with high winds and severely limited visibility...

It is HIGHLY likely given the conditions and on those roads our there in the sticks that the snow was deep enough that nobody would have seen him in the first place and the concept of the second dragging is quite understandable if the person who found him and went to report it didn't even move him off the road... If it were a car I can't see how it would happen without notice but a couple of trucks is infinitely more plausible...

JT... A time of the incident would be helpful to the lynch mob here..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Have any of you seen the damage done to cars after hitting a human body? Impossible that someone 'didn't notice', just impossible.

Sounds like another zoned out Japanese pretending that everything is OK with the world, and continuing on their merry little road to extinction.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What a terrible way to die!! sorry for you jiichan and your family. How can you drive dragging something -let alone somebody- for 24 km???

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Someone is playing silly buggers with the J-clowns. I reckon they bundled his body into the car and dropped him off at another location.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't think either these drivers noticed they had hit or dragged something because wind was so strong during blizzard and driving on snow is totally different.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Certainly I see Fredster's point. You get a lot of clunking and bumping going with deep snow around.

OTOH. Here are things that do not fit.

--Woman leaves live guy lying in the middle of the road?

--Woman leaves dead guy lying in the middle of the road?

--There is sufficient traffic that somebody runs over the body "in one minute."

--There is not sufficient traffic that somebody witnessed it. Fredster's two truck hypothesis would mean that someone would have seen it if the first truck dragged him.

--This lady "went to call" in her own car? Where could she "go" in one minute if she is out in the sticks?

Stukle is right in assuming that someone, even the lady driver, could set this up. I hope the police poke around this, no matter how it turns out.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"" surprised they were able to identify the body. One would think that there would be very little identifiable flesh left on a body after being dragged on asphalt for 24 km...""

Asphalt? This is Hokkaido in winter, dude. The roads up here all have a layer of ice and/or snow on them this time of year!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If I see a body in the road, I'm not moving it for fear of being accused of causing the death in the first place.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites