Police in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of dangerous driving resulting in death and injury after the car he was driving hit four men who were patrolling their neighborhood on Tuesday night. Two of the men died of their injuries, while the other two sustained minor injuries.
According to police, the incident occurred in Naka Ward at around 11:55 p.m. Kyodo News reported that the four men, who were part of an eight-member year-end neighborhood anti-crime night patrol, were walking along the side of a six-meter-wide two-lane road when they were hit from behind by a car driven by Yasuyuki Inoki, a construction industry worker, kept going.
The four victims were taken to hospital. Two of them — Shinji Murakami, 47, and Masanori Yamanaka, 46 — died Wednesday morning, while the other two men did not suffer life-threatening injuries. The four others in the group were not injured.
Police said Inoki’s car was identified after an analysis of street surveillance camera footage and he was arrested on Wednesday night. Police said he has partially admitted to the charge, and quoted him as saying he thought he might have hit something but was not aware he had hit anyone.
© Japan Today
12 Comments
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JeffLee
They shouldn't have been walking on the road, especially at night. Roads are for vehicles, sidewalks for pedestrians.
Are these "patrols" needed? In my area, they do nothing apart from getting in people's way. No street-smoking signs everywhere, but they ignore the smokers, according to my numerous observations.
Mr Kipling
I would suggest that Mr Inoki was on his way home at 11:55 pm after drinking industrial amounts of alcoholic beverages. I would go on to suggest that his life is going to be very different for the next few years at least.
Speed
Hitting four human adults makes a really loud noise and jars your car. He should be get 10 extra years for lying so stupidly when found guilty. I hate hit and run drivers. Their punishment should be heavier.
towingtheline
Why were they walking in the middle of the road. That's dangerous.
Mr Kipling
I'm sure he knew exactly what he had done and fled... After panicking at killing people by drunk driving.
Yrral
Japanese roads are not that wide,a residential road in most city in the US is about 20 ft wide and ten ft on each side and most have curbs,so people will crash into your house,most Japanese live on the road at their door
DudeDeuce
Maybe he shouldn't have been driving through a residential neighborhood hitting people then driving away.
nishikat
I get nervous as cars buzz by me at night so carry a small USB rechargeable flashlight. When walking at night you sometimes cannot avoid sharing the road with cars, so do what you can to make yourself more visible to avoid becoming a statistic.
smithinjapan
Lock him up for life. There is no way you don't know you have hit FOUR people unless you are so drunk you can't recall your own name, and if that's the case, lock him up for a few more lives.
Joe Blow
Thank you for making me miss the US lol