Police in Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture, have arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of attempted murder after he backed his minivan into an 11-year-old boy on a bicycle.
The incident occurred at around 6 p.m. on Friday, TV Asahi reported. Police said Yohei Takimoto, a construction worker, has denied the allegation and quoted him as saying, "I didn't mean to hit him."
The incident occurred on a narrow local road. According to the police, four elementary school students, including the victim, were riding their bicycles when they passed Takimoto's oncoming vehicle, at which point he honked his horn.
After the boys rode away, Takimoto reportedly reversed his vehicle to pursue them and struck the rear of the victim's bicycle. After that, he drove away.
Police said the boy fell off his bike and sustained a minor head injury.
Police said eyewitness accounts and security camera footage suggested that Takimoto had accelerated in reverse to hit the bicycles.
Takimoto turned himself in at a police station two hours later.
© Japan Today
6 Comments
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MiuraAnjin
Go directly to jail. Do not collect $200.
Speed
What was Takimoto so angry about? The kids rode past him going the other way. So what?
sakurasuki
There's an actual intent, not negligence.
Harry_Gatto
Did the "eyewitness accounts and security camera footage" show the behaviour and positioning of the four boys when Takimoto passed them? Not condoning what he did but maybe there is just a little bit more to this story?
mikeylikesit
The defense may try to argue something like this, but only if the rest of the case is utterly hopeless. It’s arguing the difference between first-degree and second-degree attempted murder. Either carries a prison sentence. It’s merely a distinction of how long.
Abundance of Ignorance
Oh look, another calm and totally normal person assaulting kids.