Teenagers steal car but slam into pole after police chase in Chiba

That's what you get for trying to pull a grand theft auto.

GTA IV just came out (in Japan) a few weeks ago...

Simply idiots. What do they gain from doing such a stupid thing?

GTA IV just came out (in Japan) a few weeks ago...

GTA 3 came out in Japan 5 or 6 years ago, what's your point? people were stealing cars long before there were playstations

Goodness! Joy-riders in Chiba-ken.

Got on the bus with me day saver/ Smoked the reefer in the corner/ Laid low/ Did a Grand Theft Auto/

Rap lyrics like this are corrupting Japan's youth.

ALTRIA>>>>How do these lyrics corrupt Japanese youth when they dont understand English even after they have been learning it almost all thier lives. I would blame it more on the HOLLYWOOD movies. Theses kids just wanna be (cool) like the kids in the west(GTA is not cool by the way) they are bored. If weed wasnt so expensive here and so illegal they would have been smoking and play video games at home...

Simply idiots. What do they gain from doing such a stupid thing? Simply idiots.

Are you talking about the cops pursuing a high speed chase through suburbia at the beginning of peak hour? I thought so.

I guess they learnt a lesson then

The lesson here is PAY ATTENTION in driving school!!!!

I'm sooooo sick of people trying to blame video games, music, T.V. and movies for "corruption" of today's youth... be it in Japan or anywhere else in the world. I grew up playing tons of video games (while listening to all kinds of music), watching T.V. and loved the hell out of movies! Not once did I steal a car; break into a house; drink and drive; do drugs; kill someone; etc... why you ask? BECAUSE I HAD PARENTS THAT ACTUALLY CARED AND RAISED ME PROPERLY!!! You want to stop the supposed "corruption" of Japanese youth? Stop trying to turn the focus on fictional outside influences and concentrate on the real problem, PARENTING!! And before anyone tries to pose the question... Yes, I am a father. I also have the common sense to know that the responsibility of raising my kids right lays at my feet and mine alone (well, my wife's too).

Then again... if my kid's ever DO get in trouble, I guess it could be handy to just say "It's all those damn video games' fault!!"

If weed wasnt so expensive here and so illegal they would have been smoking and play video games at home...

Depends who you know.

the chinpira test highschool cool kids had to pass a few years ago was stealing a bicycle. times are changing...

The driver was charged with negligence causing injury and driving without a license. The other two boys were arrested on suspicion of stealing the vehicle.

The driver is charged with negligence and the others are charged with stealing? Sounds odd. I would have thought the driver would have been charged with theft along with the others.

The vehicle sped off, and led police on a chase which lasted 20 minutes and spanned 13 kilometers,

Average speed of "car chase" 39 km/ hour!!! I can cycle quicker than that...

The other two boys were arrested on suspicion of stealing the vehicle.

The fact that they were sat in the damn thing when it hit the lamp post suggests to me that they it may be a little bit more than suspicious!!!

GTA 3 came out in Japan 5 or 6 years ago, what's your point? people were stealing cars long before there were playstations

And the most stolen car in Japan is the burly Hi-ace van, which is hardly a prime steal in GTA.

FreeInJapan you are right, it is probably because they are smoking weed ;)

They should have to pay 100% of their medical bills.

Funny they didn't say if the keys were in the car they stole for two reasons. One I doubt they had the skill to steal a locked car, and two if you leave your keys in the car, and its stolen, causes injury, destroys property you the owner are responsible for the damages.

Did cops fund any drug substances i9n the car? They must be on something. Driving so nearly in the morning with such speed well, at least cops got them in time, before they could kill another innocent human. Cops must be also happy to speed behind them. Good exercise early in the morning.

Actually, I'm surprised the J-Cops actually GAVE CHASE at all! New eager Rookie perhaps? Giving chase seems totally against the police playbook in this country...

New eager Rookie perhaps?

Rookies aren't allowed to drive police cars.

Rookies aren't allowed to drive police cars.

Ok, then perhaps they were confused and thought it was a bicycle??

A bicycle in need of registration check that is...

Wait, I have it... there was a bike in need of a registration check attached to a bike rack on the back of the car! It was noticed by a police officer that was dutifully standing watch over an ATM, who called in backup, leading up to the "wild" car chase. The fact that these hoodlums were found in a stolen car and charged with other offenses is likely coincidental and because the bike was found to have a valid registration the J-cops decided to proceed with the other charges so as not to waste all the effort.

My point being, I'm just surprised to see actual action taken to pursue anyone... as usually the case (observed in person) tends to be the police will shy away from pursuing anything larger than a moped.

Slamming into the pole was probably one of the best things for them and others considering they had already committed the crime.