crime

Man dies in Osaka hit-and-run after being dragged for 3 kms

58 Comments

A 30-year-old man died after being hit and dragged by a car for about 3 kilometers in downtown Osaka in the early hours of Tuesday. Police are hunting for the driver of the car, described as a red- or black-colored station wagon, on suspicion of driving away after the accident and also of negligence resulting in the man's death.

The victim was identified as Gentaro Suzuki, an employee of a real estate company who resided in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture.

Suzuki was hit by the car at around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday at a crossing on a national highway in Osaka's downtown Kita Ward. He was found dead on a street in Fukushima Ward around 10 minutes later, the police said.

It is suspected that the car dragged Suzuki for about 3 km after hitting him, they said.

Suzuki was apparently hit from the right side while he and a 40-year-old colleague were walking on a road without a crosswalk, the police said. They were en route to JR Osaka Station after drinking from Monday night through early Tuesday. The colleague reported the incident to a nearby police box.

Investigators have found blood marks and blood stained tire tracks along the 3-km distance, the police said.

© Wire reports

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58 Comments
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KaptainKichigai - there is no excuse for the driver not stopping if he / she was aware that they'd hit someone. Just because this person MAY have been drunk and on the road doesn't mean that the driver has no responsibility to avoid them.

Chances are that the driver was also drunk, or involved in something else illegal, and panicked. Reprehensible behaviour - and shame on you for condoning it

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Nessie:

" Not! I guess because it was a van, the visbility is reduced and the weight is less detectable. "

They said on TV it was an Odyssey (same as our car, eek). It has also pretty low ground clearance; a horrible thought of srubbing a man to death underneath.

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Can someone tell me where the guy was hit? I know his body was found by Gusto - I live in the area but reports keep changing. First his way in front of Osaka station, then he was on a highway. Was he on highway 2 or Hanshin??

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Why should blood streaks on the road prove that he was under the car? Limbs have been known to trail you know, sometimes dragging along the floor and rubbing on the surface of the road, causing that unusual effect of bleeding on the road. Not to mention that liquids generally travel down, due to some outrageous concept known as gravity. Where else would the blood end up if not on the road?

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Dear "Temporary Visa"(It happened on a national highway on a 3 km stretch in downtown Osaka and not a single CCTV camera captured the incident?) Actually, it was caught on a CCTV camera and now they are looking for a black station wagon (with many dents and lots of blood marks) I presume.

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Dudes were on a highway, no crosswalk, drunk in the drunkest hours of the morning? What was the speed limit on this highway? How in the world could a driver doing 80 km an hour avoid hitting this idiot? And then what? an immediate arrest for being in the right place(highway with car) at the wrong time(idiot drunk crossing said highway)? Perhaps if the laws werent so ridiculous regarding accidents involving pedestrians or bicycles, the driver would have stopped.

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It happened on a national highway on a 3 km stretch in downtown Osaka and not a single CCTV camera captured the incident?

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But if he was dragged isn't it possible that the driver didn't see him?

Yeah, he must've just thought his parking brake was on. Not! I guess because it was a van, the visbility is reduced and the weight is less detectable. But it's farfetched to think you wouldn't notice such a weight.

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tmarie, the TV news reports were saying that, judging from the marks on the road, the police believed that the driver was zig-zagging, presumably to try to rid him/herself of the body caught in the car's undercarriage.

The video clips of some of the marks that I saw this morning certainly did seem to indicate purposeful zig-zagging rather than, say, random drunken drifting.

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He got hit across the street from a big POLICE station and dragged past at least 2 KOBAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He crossed the street where there was no cross walk and on a curve. The only way to safely cross the street there is to use the HUGE pedestrian brigde.

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But if he was dragged isn't it possible that the driver didn't see him? Drunk guy walks into a car being driven by a drunk guy. Drunk driver thinks he kit a curb and keeps driving... I don't think we can place the blame 100% on the driver just yet. For all we know this guy was playing chicken with the car after a few too many drinks.

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Poor sod. However, death might be preferable to being left in a coma with severe head injuries and little prospect of recovery, as in another Japanese RTA (not hit and run, admittedly) case I know of...

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hit and run gets a lesser sentence in Japan compared to drunk driving resulting to accident or death. And of course, Osaka is known for hit and run...its the most notorious place for hit and run in Japan actually followed by either Kanagawa or Saitama. Anyway, the morning said that they plan to charge the driver if found with voluntary manslaugther as record shows that the car is travelling at a speed of less than 40 kph so the guy may have lived if the driver just stopped and called an ambulance.

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Wow, I saw the long red smear on the tv news this morning during breakfast...

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READ it BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He was dragged !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081022TDY02309.htm

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Even in the dark hours of morning how hard is it to tell black from red? I can understand black or dark blue.

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dammit:

" without actually mentioning whether or not he was under the vehicle - "

Umm... remember the bloody drag marks along the path of the vehicle? Where do you think they come from?

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If the driver was drunk but didn't have anybody in the car with him he might have been better off, legally, to drive away and sober up before either turning himself in or getting caught. I'm not sure how this works in Japan but in the US killing somebody as a drunk driver will net you a much harsher sentence than hit-and-run.

Poor guy didn't deserve that though. Under the circumstances you hope he died from the initial impact. Sad.

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i hope and pray that this mongrel of a driver get nightmares night after night until he gets the courage to surrender. of course, it could also be the fault of the pedestrian, but at least be conscientious enough to stop and help. the victim here is a person, not even an animal deserves a horrible death like that. RIP Mr. Suzuki.

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Running away is always bad=involunatry manslaughter. I think the premise is that you would most likely try to save the guys life or call the police by which the guy may have had a chance of survival. Running away leaves him to die.

Poor guy, hopefully he was so drunk he didn't feel a thing.

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Thats really sad. The fact that the guy would get less time for being drunk and stopping, then for killing the guy and running away. Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

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Fight or flight is a strong instinct. Remember the nurse who drove home with a homeless guy half through her windshield, leaving him to die overnight....????

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Horrid!

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TOOT-TOOT-PARP-PARP-WAIL=WAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO sorry fatloser, you are of course almost 199% right.

It really does state in the article that the man was dragged under the car.

Well, actually it says

It is suspected that the car dragged Suzuki for about 3 km

without actually mentioning whether or not he was under the vehicle - but what the heck, who cares whether he was under it or dangling off the side of it, or even trailing from the exhaust at the back. I still hold to my original suggestion of suitable punishment.

Most utterly and convincingly apologetic for trying to offer a suggestion in reply to smartacus's query, especially without switching on the damn T.V and watching the news first - meek and mild me goes off with the dunce's cap into the corner.

Incidentally fatloser, my name ain't HONEY, dammit!

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I am sure it was the umbrella gang...!

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Whoever's fault this was, I think the takeaway is watch your frikken back whenever your are out and about... defensive, driving, walking, car riding, JAPAN IS SAFETY COUNTRY!

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Hold on a minute! Where are all the people from only a few days ago rationalizing hit and runs... C'mon Spidey, CavemanLawyer et al. don't you want to defend this guy too?

Rationalizing? No. Defending? Certainly not. Understanding that all cases are not 100% the driver's fault? Yes. And this case is no exception. It falls well within the parameters of my arguements that the system contributes very highly to rash of hit and runs. This case is just at the extreme end of the stick. Very extreme.

S

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HONK-HONK-BOOP-BOOP-WEEP=WEEP!!!!!!!!!!!! The tv news showed a blood streak on the road. The poor fellow wasn't flipped on the "bonnet",honey!! He was dragged under the car for 3 km!!! And the tv news crews probably faught for the chance to fiml...ooops...film that blood streak!

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a drunk driver will never stop if they hit someone in Japan as the sentence is quite severe so they would rather run and then surrender when they are sober so that they will get a lighter sentence or even suspended sentence and quite a minimal fee. Also, they will pay less when the other party is dead as the victim will get insurance payment in contrast to medical bills and other expenses. Drunk driving plus accident maybe equal to 15 years plus hundreds of millions of yen...hit and run...maybe 3 years suspended sentence.

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Smartacus, when someone gets hit by a car they normally get flipped onto the bonnet (hood in U.S.) and maybe he was either draped across the bonnet right where the driver could see him, or he went further and got caught on something sticking out of the roof of the vehicle - I don't know, maybe a roof rack or ornamental metal trimming which had come loose?

But however he got stuck, there's no way the psycho driving didn't realise he'd hit someone/something, and I hope they catch him/her and run him/her over with a steam roller. Fat chance, but I can wish.

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Put on the BREAKS.....s-ka-rrrr-eeeee-ccchhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! At 4am there are drunks and taxi drivers on the road. Chances are the victim was drunk as was the driver. The Japanese sure like to say "we"...er ...except when one kills another and might have to pay money to their family. I'm surprised that it wasn't caught on a camera. Those cops put cameras all over the roads. If they don't then they should it would give them something to do besides pestering school girls.

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This driver is a 'Monster,' and should never have a vehicle and his license. The victim died as an animal and now the accused driver should taste himself how does it fell. He should be put into helicopter, putting rope around his neck, and drop him out in the air and drive him around. What else can such driver deserve? He is not human in my books.

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Hold on a minute! Where are all the people from only a few days ago rationalizing hit and runs... C'mon Spidey, CavemanLawyer et al. don't you want to defend this guy too?

I wish there was an easy answer to this problem... laws definately need to be reworked and police need a campaign or something... don't you think?

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yeah, 2 months in Osaka was 2 months too long because of the motorists and cyclists. I cant believe this one, somebody will have seen him cleaning his car at some point...

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Osaka nice place..mmmm 3km!?

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I honk my horn at least once a day and often 3-4 times. People here walk with their heads elsewhere.

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MAYBE it was a TAXI!!! Those guyz are filth and would drive a 100km while dragging a person and ask for fare!!

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Can anyone please explain to me how it is possible to be dragged along by the car? Wouldn't being hit by a car knock a person well away from the car? How and where does he get stuck in the car?

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That is totally messed up, how can someone not stop and drag someone 3km's I hope this person suffers.

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Gruesome. I hope they catch the driver.

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come on fatloser - osaka is famous - a red light means "proceed with caution"

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DRUNK or in a HURRY!!! Japanese people are BUSY, so they drive fast and don't stop for ANYTHING!!! Don't blame Osaka for bad drivers you have FORGOTTEN about all the other death car stories this year.

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"Its part of our culture." Boy have I heard that line time and again concerning whatever it is they want to do at the time. And how can you respond, but by dropping your jaw in wonder, shaking your head, and walking away?

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"No idea which is worse to be honest."

Tmarie: The one who is worse off, is the one dragged 3 KM.

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I live in Osaka and while the drivers are horrible, so are the pedestrians! No idea which is worse to be honest.

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Another hit-and-run in (insert location here).

It's becoming a daily event. And these are just the ones that are reported.

S

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Osaka's drivers are infamous throughout Japan although, there is very little difference from city to city. Running red lights, speeding and reckless driving are common place all over Japan. Coupled with the general stupidity and lack of concern of pedestrians it is a recipe for disaster (like this one). The traffic police in Japan should be seriously ashamed of themselves (if they even exist). And the worst thing is, if you try to talk to a Japanese person about it they will just say, "It's part of the culture!" - Gambling is illegal in Japan until you get on the roads, then you gamble with your life!

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meanmutha - "gang banger cars"? Are we talking the Bangbus?!

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elbudamexicano - "Only in OSAKA!"... probably Saitama too, although this story is maybe too straightforward for there.

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Hmm, J-walkers vs J-drivers - a deadly recipe.

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The roads around Osaka station are very busy and very large. J-walk at your own peril. There are so many many bridges you can use to get across the street. The guy must have been drunk to take on these streets and Japans stupid law forces drivers to flee the scene.

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btw. 3 kms. is sick.

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Again. I live here. This place is off the wall at night. They cross the street where they please and the cars.... 1 outta 10 at any second could qualify as potential hit and runs. A lot of gang banger cars here bigtime. Anyway, like I said, a teen was killed in front of our place and no one seems to care.

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Saw this on the Japanese news earlier. How could somebody drive and drag this guy such a distance. Probably left a trail of body matter as well. A truly stomach-turning event. When they find the driver, they shouldn't arrest him, they should let him run alongside the car while they drive him back to the station.

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Gee.... I wonder if they are repeating this same story, but only including part of the details.... as always....

Girl, 14, arrested for hit-and-run during joyride with 3 boys in Osaka

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if the Osaka drivers are so rude then he surely should have checked the road before crossing in

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Osaka is a joke! I have never seen such rude drivers anywhere in Japan! The police there should be ashamed of themselves. It is a free for all! If you come to Tokyo, it is like a whole different country, yes we have some bad drivers but nothing like the hell hole that is poor Osaka. Poor guy dragged 3 kilometers? Only in OSAKA!

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Osaka seems to be having a bad week for hit-and-runs.

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