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2-year-old boy dies after being hit by train at crossing

38 Comments

Police on Tuesday were investigating the circumstances that led to a two-year-old boy being hit and killed by a train after wandering out onto a railway crossing in Kawanishi, Hyogo Prefecture.

The boy was hit at around midday on Monday by a train on the Nose Electric Railway line. According to police, the train driver spotted the boy on the tracks, sounded the alarm and applied the emergency brakes, TBS reported. However, police say the train did not stop in time, eventually coming to rest some 40 meters after hitting the boy. No passengers were injured in the incident.

The boy, who lived nearby, has been identified as Rentaro Koseki. He was taken to hospital where he died around four hours later, TBS reported.

According to police, Rentaro and his mother had spent the morning with another family at a temple around 100 meters away from the crossing. After they had eaten lunch, the mother said she lost sight of Rentaro momentarily while clearing up, at which point it is believed he strayed out of the temple grounds and onto the crossing.

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38 Comments
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:(

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Tragic! but how could you leave your child untenanted for them to walk 100 meters!?

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

The mother is going to be forever haunted by this... :(

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Incompetent mother...I see it all the time.

-4 ( +8 / -12 )

Paid the ultimate price for a moments carelessness or was it continued carelessness.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Sad! Keep your kids close people! It only takes a split second and they are gone and, in this case, gone forever! Sad!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Sadly this kind of carelessness (incompetence) seems to be all to common here in Japan. Kids being hit by trains, cars, falling from balconies etc. maybe the parents here need to wake up and be more aware of their kids.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

@Darren Brannan it means that you must always keep an eye on the kid. And they have those leashes that connect to the mother if it is a little explorer.

Rip little one

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Rest in peace little one... What is it with some parents these days? I see it all the time. Parents not giving a $#!+ about letting their kids run wild and unsupervised... So tragic.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Accidents happen. All the time. Since the first toddler wandered out from the family cave and was ravaged by wolves. It happens, because we are only human. I'm sure the mother can punish herself for the rest of her life. All she deserves from us are our condolences.

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Not only the mother, the train driver will also be haunted by this forever. Sad for all involved.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I wish people wouldn't instantly attack the parents. All it takes is two seconds.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

yer..who knows she may have had hands full with 3 other kids or babies....cant watch em all...all the time...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

yer..who knows she may have had hands full with 3 other kids or babies....cant watch em all...all the time...

Yes it is! As a parent is your job to, otherwise tragic things like this happen.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

If a factory worker worked many hours of overtime and made a fatal mistake, I can imagine the sympathy.

Most mothers work overtime all the time, but man can some people be harsh.

I always thank my lucky stars that my in-laws are around to give my wife and I a break. And I cannot even claim to be much use myself. My wife and others mothers get lots of respect from me, because I know full well I could do what they do.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

What is really annoying is you have to wonder how many people saw a two year old boy alone on his 100 meter walk, but just pretended it wasn't happening.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I agree Darren - I took my 2 year old out of hoikuen from April 1st so it has been 2 weeks now, and even with my Mum here - my God that boy can try our patience AND he moves like the wind! Try putting any willful 2 year old in reins too and see what you get for your money! Far better to let him run free in a safe place (such as a temple) and just keep a close eye on him.

I feel terribly sorry for this Mother, I really do.

But just one thing: even moving like the wind it does take a 2 year old quite a time to travel 100 metres. So I find her "I lost sight of him momentarily" comment to be just a little unbelievable. More like 5 minutes. BUT there but for the grace of God goes any parent honest enough to admit it.

-4 ( +0 / -3 )

Sorry I would never ever leave my child unattended, ever, you must project your child always, if you are tired then don't go out. It's tough but you must do it, you can't have your cake and eat it too, a parent is a 24hour job. I feel for the mother, but it would have taken at least 5 mins for a 2 year old to walk 100 meters. That is non a "moment" it is unacceptable as a parent.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

My condolences to the parents, this is truly a tragedy. All it would take is something like an exhausted or sick mother lying down for a nap with their baby... and then the baby waking up first and the mother not waking until 5 minutes later. Parents aren't super heros.

I am, however, reminded of a very similar incident a few weeks ago where a driver hit a 1 year old who was in the road. I notice that here no-one is blaming the train driver, while everyone blamed the driver, but these two instances are pretty much identical, a child where no-one expected it to be and a vehicle travelling at a safe and legal speed that just couldn't stop in time.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I can imagine in a little country town like Kawanishi is, that it was a crossing with no guards and nobody around to see the little boy. Depending on where in Kawanishi is it a pretty build up city with rails and the like.

Kids run. Which is why parents need to keep an eye on them at all times. I can get 10-15 meters away if the kid makes a runner but 100 meters? That poor child and train driver. Is cleaning up more important than keeping an eye on your kid?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Poor woman. Poor kid. Poor train driver.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Frungy:

" I am, however, reminded of a very similar incident a few weeks ago where a driver hit a 1 year old who was in the road. I notice that here no-one is blaming the train driver, while everyone blamed the driver, but these two instances are pretty much identical, "

Are you joking? I don´t remember if "everyone" blamed the driver there, but stopping a train and stopping a car is not the same thing by a far shot.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

but stopping a train and stopping a car is not the same thing by a far shot.

With the train you have much better visibility. That makes up for the difference in stopping distance to me.

I would say the only true advantage a car has is potential to swerve. But we don't always have the option, and even when we do, its usually a very small margin of error.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

My sympathies are first with the dead boy and second with the train driver.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I know what you mean Nicky, but sometimes everything goes wrong. Sometimes both parents think the other is looking after the kid. Or you could turn around and not see the kid for 10 seconds, then you go looking in the wrong direction.

What I think is that there are plenty of situations where there are negligent parents, but I'm sure there are some where a normally careful parent just loses sight for a few crucial moments.

And yes, I think in most countries we've lost the old idea of people looking out for other people's kids.

I'm sure there were a lot of "if only"s in this case.

In general though, the Japanese I see including my relatives aren't careful enough.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I really feel for the mother.

Anybody with a toddler knows they are exhausting and can disappear in seconds.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yeah, toddlers can move a lot more quickly than adults give them credit for. This is tragic and I think it's harsh to say the mom was incompetent. Locking a kid in a closed car is, you know the outcome. A few moments inattention is a tragedy but very human. A sad day for all involved.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@yasukuni - yes, you are right, she could easily have gone off looking in the wrong direction. Done it myself! Just the other day I thought my 5 year old was with my husband, he thought he was with my Mother, and the fact is, he was hovering around the bloody Pokemon game machine in Toys R Us! I was busy watching the 2 year old while my husband was with the 8 year old in the unicycle section - comedy of errors that thankfully - but for the grace of God - didnt end in a tragedy.

I agree with everyone saying its harsh to say the Mother was incompetent. Even on a clear day toddlers are exhausting. Throw in sickness/lack of sleep/distress of some other kind/something on your mind and - very sadly - mistakes can happen. I also agree though that I see a LOT of negligence on a daily basis. I was forced to stay in the park much longer than planned recently because a woman came in with a 4 year old, dumped her in the sandpit, and went off shopping! If I had left, she would have been on her own in the park and I couldnt in all conscience do it. My God I was angry when the woman came back - 20 minutes later!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

RIP little child.

The train traveled 40 meters after the train hit the child? From applying the E-brake to completely stopping...that must have been the worst few seconds of that train's operators life. So sad. So tragic.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Nicky, I hope you told off that mother. If I ever see something like that I will be calling the cops. Unreal. Why do these women have kids?!

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

I was forced to stay in the park much longer than planned recently because a woman came in with a 4 year old, dumped her in the sandpit, and went off shopping! If I had left, she would have been on her own in the park and I couldnt in all conscience do it. My God I was angry when the woman came back - 20 minutes later!*

Nobody forced you. You stayed of your own accord because of your conscience. Did that woman come up to you and ask you to look after her kid and then come back later than expected? Leaving her child unattended like that was dangerous on her part but staying and watching over the kid was your decision.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

No mother would ever want this to happen! Do not blame her .... Accidents could happen anywhere, to anybody...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@iabcd - obviously my conscience forced me. Who in all good conscience could walk out of a park and leave a 4 year old alone? Pls don't nitpick - its irritating.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Back on topic please.

Nicky WashidaAPR. 18, 2012 - 05:48PM JST @iabcd - obviously my conscience forced me. Who in all good conscience could walk out of a park and leave a 4 year old alone? Pls don't nitpick - its irritating.

OK. Then that explains why you were really angry then. You were mad at your conscience for forcing you to stay in the park. That would be really irritating. But, don't blame yourself. You did something nice.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

that poor mother... having insensitive people jump down her throat because for an instant she lost sight of her child. I can almost imagine that the ones blaming the mother have never had to raise kids of their own yet. it is an extremely exhausting job and toddlers are quite the explorers, they often get something set in their head that they want to do something, even if its something wrong.

Don't blame the mother for this, she loved her child and will be haunted by this for the rest of her life, because no child could replace the one she has lost

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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