A 36-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after he drove his car into a police koban in front of Keihan-yamashina Station in Kyoto.
According to police, the incident occurred at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday. Fuji TV reported there were three police officers in the koban at the time but none were injured.
Police identified the driver as Hirotate Mashimo. A breathalyzer test showed that Mashimo's blood alcohol content was over the legal limit for driving, police said.
Mashimo was quoted as saying he intended to park in front of the station but mistakenly pressed the accelerator instead of the brake.
© Japan Today
19 Comments
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sensei258
Oops!
Wc626
High BAC, no doubt. What was his BAC? In the USA, it's ridiculous. You can consume 1 (12oz) can of "light" beer in about45 min. time period, and depending on your metabolism (a factor which varies widely), you might be charged with misdemeanor DUI.
Disillusioned
I wish they would publish what his alcohol level was. Being over the limit can be one beer or twelve!
Monozuki
I feel like having heard the above excuse a million times. And this time, the 36-year-old man probably under the same conditions as an old man staying sober, driving his car into the koban while being drunk. Um, never change.
Wc626
Heh, good point of view. The old sober man is less culpable though. The 36-yr old should have realized that after "a few" drinks, he might be putting public safety in danger.
And vise versa. The Prefecture DL (Driver License) issuing agencies ought to cancel a few Kanreki (65 or older) Drivers Licenses. But No!
Instead they bow down. . . . . cause in Japan, once you pay the appropriate fees, you get a customer service bow. Forget the Public Safety.
Christopher Glen
Amusing story
smithinjapan
Get ready for this to be about ten-fold in a couple of weeks as bon-enkai season gets into full swing.
Barrel Organ
I wondered if he said, 'I just wanted to see what crashing into a koban was like'?
nath
How would explaining what happened excuse him from responsibility?
Skeeter27
I know he went into the police box but I wonder what the response time was from the police station with the accident unit was?
IfeelImust
Why on earth would a person who'd consumed any alcohol at all wish to park in front of a koban? Either stupid or very drunk mistaking it for a combini perhaps. And once again the old I mistook the brake for the gas pedal excuse, getting to be the same as I was drunk and don't remember.
Kobe White Bar Owner
Glad no one was hurt and thanks for the laugh.
fuzzylogic
@ Barrel Organ
"I wondered if he said, 'I just wanted to see what crashing into a koban was like'?"
no doubt.
Kurobune
That'll get you arrested every time !
GW
Haha loser! I bet he was going to the koban to ask for directions home or maybe to another izakaya & then did the J-CLASSIC mistaking gas for brake..............what a KLUTZ!
pudus
"he drove his car into a police koban"
classic oopsie daisy
since1981
I'm confused. First it states; "arrested on suspicion of drunk driving" but later state "blood alcohol content was over the legal limit for driving" Let's see now, DRIVES a CAR into a Koban, TESTED and delared LEGALLY over the limit, however arrested on SUSPICION of drunk driving. .........oooooKaaayyyy
Yokota
"Let's see now, DRIVES a CAR into a Koban, TESTED and delared LEGALLY over the limit, however arrested on SUSPICION of drunk driving." consider the ubiquitous handlers faculties.
kurisupisu
The koban has to accept 10% of the blame for being there tho' !