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1-year-old girl dies after being hit by car driven by mother

20 Comments

A one-year-old girl died after she was hit by a car driven by her 27-year-old mother in the parking space of their home in Kakogawa, Hyogo Prefecture, on Tuesday.

According to police, the accident occurred at around 6 p.m. The woman was slowly driving the car out of the covered parking space when she hit her daughter with the right front of the vehicle, Sankei Shimbun reported. The girl was taken to hospital where she died about 90 minutes later.

Police said the woman was about to drive two friends home when the accident occurred. Her daughter and her three-year-old son were also in the car. When her son said he wanted to go to the toilet, her daughter got out of the car, too, and the mother thought she had also gone into the house.

The woman was quoted by police as saying she was talking with one of her friends in the car and failed to notice that her daughter was in front of the car.

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20 Comments
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So she will have to live with the fact that her little girl died because she was too busy chatting with her friends to ensure her child's safety

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

I hope there is counseling available for her.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

That's how quickly life can change. You can never be too careful around kids although, being careless seems to come easily to some.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

The friends must feel terrible as well.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

This poor lady. I can't imagine a worse feeling.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

Strangerland: "This poor lady. I can't imagine a worse feeling."

True... especially knowing she could easily have prevented it and her daughter would be alive. I have to say I am sick and tired of seeing cars pull out of driveways or tight spaces with others waiting to get in once the car is on the road because it's more convenient. In this case, true, the people weren't waiting outside the car, but it's the same mentality -- she'll pull out of the driveway and wait, and then her son and daughter can come back to the car after using the bathroom. You don't let a one-year-old out around your car while you're preparing to move it without KNOWING where said child is. This is why. Easily preventable. RIP to the little girl.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

The story states that she didn't notice the baby was in front of the car, because she was busy talking to her friend. So she decided to talk to her friend instead of ensuring the baby was nowhere near the car. Her misplaced priority had tragic results.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

The story states .............

We got your lack of empathy in your first post. Must be nice not ever making mistakes.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

Readers, no bickering please.

Just a sad story.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

She is 100% to blame for her own daughters death. completely avoidable if she had stopped chatting to her friends for a few seconds to check on her baby girl.

This is neglect. Jail time isn't necessary for her. Simply explaining to her other children why their baby sister isn't around is punishment enough

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Ugh. I HATE these stories. "Woulda coulda shoulda" always applies I suppose, but at the end of the day there is a poor child who is lost, and a poor mother who's life is now a waking nightmare.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Really sorry about the daughter, but the mother was extremely reckless.

1-year olds can barely walk. To assume that a 1 year old is doing anything that you think they are supposed to is simply idiotic.

Personally I never put my car in gear unless my child is strapped in the back seat, let alone roaming around outside where I can't see them.

She didn't pay attention at all and she hit her daughter with the FRONT of the car.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Ramzel & haloerika - never a sadder but truer comment.

A one year old must be buckled into a protective infant seat - by law.

And even without a law, common sense dictates that my child's life is so so precious.

I see these cases of unbuckled kidseveryday and literally shudder with fear at the thought of anything happening to them, because of lax parenting.

Tragic.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

How dreadfully sad, especially because such an accident is entirely preventable. So much pride is taken in the rigorous driver training in Japan. Doesn't it include safety procedures for driving with children?

If the children had been buckled into proper car seats for toddlers, the mother or another adult would have had to unbuckle the three year-old. She ought to have gone inside with him and left her still buckled daughter in the car with her friends. Presumably she would have taken an additional safety measure by turning off the engine and securing the handbrake.

However, like many paradoxical things there seems to be a careless disregard for some basic elements of safety in Japan. In busy Tokyo stations I have seen mothers exit trains with very young children without taking them by the hand or even looking back to see that they are following as they hurry toward the escalators. They routinely ride on bicycles, sometimes with two or three children, without helmets. It's quite horrifying.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

They need to teach drivers if you cannot see your kids don't move the car.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

They routinely ride on bicycles, sometimes with two or three children, without helmets. It's quite horrifying

Transportimg kids by bicycle is many times safer than transporting kids by car - with or without helmets.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

I know that we are not perfect human beings and we all make mistake but the biggest mistake that she did is not strap her kid. I know a 1/yo would not be able to take off the seatbelt but a 3y/o could.

This happened to me once at the gas station when I was getting a kerosene my 4y/o let herself out and I did not notice her at my back when I went inside the car the first thing I did was to check on her & she was gone. Good thing she was just right there & put her back to her seat.

Yes those kids are faster than us but it would not hurt to check your kids every chance you get.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Very sad

@Giveme_abreak - I had a similar experience happen to me (years ago). I actually had thought I strapped in my son and I did not. I had left the trunk open, got out to close / latch it, got back in and the little bugger had gotten out of the car. I put the vehicle in drive and was ready to start to move and my daughter told me to stop. Normally I would double check all of this stuff but one of those days (none of us are 100% perfect).

So very sad for the child and I cannot imagine the suffering this woman is going through.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

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