national

1 man killed, another in coma after being hit by truck on highway

4 Comments

A 77-year-old man was killed and a 21-year-old man seriously injured when their car, which had stopped on a highway due to a flat tire, was hit by a truck in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, on Saturday morning.

According to police, the incident occurred at around 1:40 a.m. on National Route 119, Fuji TV reported. Police said the car, with three men, from the same construction company, stopped on the side of the highway after they got a flat tire.

The three men got out of the car and were replacing the tire when a truck driven by a 52-year-old man rear-ended their car. The 77-year-old man suffered extensive injuries and died later in hospital, while the 21-year-old man is in a coma, police said. The third man in the car, aged 58, and the truck driver were uninjured.

The truck driver was quoted by police as saying he saw the car too late and applied the brake but couldn’t stop in time.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

4 Comments
Login to comment

I wonder if the car struck had a proper road assistance side kit set up with flare and triangle reflector to let others drivers know to be aware of car trouble ahead. Never leave home with out it. I have seen many times in my area cars experiencing some sort of trouble and are not using a flare or the triangle. It is required by law. it is also part of the shaken process.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The truck driver was quoted by police as saying he saw the car too late and applied the brake but couldn’t stop in time.

Sleeping? Texting? Doing bookwork? Reading a newspaper? I wonder what this driver was doing besides paying attention to the road ahead.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Just out of interest, How long does the emergency flare last, and how many are you supposed to carry with you ?

I'd imagine that the small triangle wouldn't have made a difference if the Truck driver couldn't have noticed the Car in front - presumably with rear tail indicator lights flashing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Also, as a matter of caution, regardless rain or not, in such a situation, wouldn't it have been better for people to have exited the vehicle, and moved further away from the road side, and have 1 standing watch for oncoming traffic whilst the other changed the tire ? Is there any recommended practice in Japan ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites