A 45-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving resulting in injury after the the large truck he was driving hit a motorcycle, seriously injuring the 77-year-old woman riding it in Osaka, police said Sunday.
According to police, the accident occurred at around 12:35 p.m. Saturday in Konohana Ward. After knocking the motorcycle over, the truck driver, Takanori Irie, kept going, Sankei Shimbun reported. Irie returned to the scene of the accident a few minutes later and was arrested by police. He was quoted by police as saying he had seen the motorcycle toppled over on the road in his rear-view mirror but wasn’t sure that he had caused an accident.
The woman, from Kashiba, Nara Prefecture, suffered several broken ribs and was taken to hospital where she was in a serious but stable condition Sunday, police said.
© Japan Today
12 Comments
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Mickelicious
People on two wheels are far too trusting of other vehicles.
starpunk
Now come on! An impact would leave some mark on a vehicle, even a truck. Did the driver really think he'd get away with this? And if you do see a motorcycle tumble on a highway you can still call the police.
Vanessa Carlisle
If he saw the motorcycle topple over in his rear-view mirror I have to question who hit who.
Out of a thousand other marks and smudges, good luck finding the graze, scratch or dent that knocked over an old woman on a motorcycle.
I have seen some pretty bad driving from both truck drivers and motorcyclists, and accidents and near misses caused by the stupidity and carelessness of both. There really is not enough information here to know who to blame. But I do know the cops are lazy and unconcerned about justice or people's lives, and have a system where they just tend to blame the larger vehicle without much thought at all.
finally rich
"driving hit a motorcycle... 77-year-old woman riding it..."
My bets are:
77 old obaachan swerving on a tiny scooter with max. speed permitted of 30km/h in Konohana ward - port side of town, with sudden gusts of wind and mostly big trucks.
JerseyDevil
"the large truck he was driving hit....the truck driver, kept going"
although it's been said many times many ways beware of ill mannered reckless, red light running, speeding quick tempered road hogs
JeffLee
If he saw her in his rear mirror falling over, the most likely scenario is that she hit him while tailgating. That means she's at fault, but TIJ.
A few years ago, another JT story described a motorbike hitting the back of a car turning right at an intersection, and the cops arrested - the car's driver! This is why I don't drive in Japan.
Mickelicious
I do, and argued quite robustly with my local gendarmes against a pending endorsement over this 強者弱者strong party/weak party rule. It took a lot of respectful but determined negotiations before they dropped the proceedings.
Mocheake
@Vanessa - I agree with you 100 percent.
oldman_13
77 years of age is a bit too old to be driving a vehicle, let alone a motorcycle which require even more quick reflexes and balance.
Goodlucktoyou
This is the only time I think a lie detector test is justified is to ask the driver.
HappyDaruma
The truck driver is from Kashiba, Nara. The woman may live in the neighborhood. I checked it in Sankei Shinbun. It was difficult to believe that a 77yrs woman would ride a scooter more than 40km all they way from Kashiba to Konohana.