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78-year-old woman hit, killed by train after pushcart gets stuck in tracks

13 Comments

A 78-year-old woman died after being hit by a train in Tokyo's Toshima Ward, after her pushcart got stuck in the tracks at a crossing.

According to police, the incident occurred just before 11 a.m. Thursday at a crossing on the Seibu Ikebukuro line. Fuji TV reported that Sachiko Takatsu had been using a pushcart due to leg pain. Street surveillance camera footage showed the elderly woman fall over after her pushcart got stuck in the tracks minutes before a train was due.

The driver of the train said he saw the woman and hit the emergency brake but couldn't stop in time. Takatsu was taken to hospital where she died about an hour later.

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13 Comments
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Eventually, and ideally all vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic must be kept separate either by under- or over-passes. If rail systems can be built 5 to 7 floors below the streets, a simple raised rail system with an underpass could have been built. Such a system could have been done many years ago when the rail system was installed just as when highways were laid.

Sad that we still have accidents such as this.

Hopefully engineers are more user and people sensitive as well as the owners more willing to invest in safety and security.

May all those that have lost their lives... rest in peace.

It is also wrong for transportation companies to have the victim and their families pay for the accident.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Here is a good opportunity for someone to invent a device to modify these walkers so that they can't get stuck on the rail tracks. hopefully then we won't see a reoccurrence of this tragedy.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

We need to care and watch over the elderly more.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Simply a sad sad story.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

If it happened at 11am, I can understand why no one was around. Everyone at work, no one going out for lunch, no reason to be going in or out at that time for shopping. It was just unfortunate.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Street surveillance camera footage showed the elderly woman fall over after her pushcart got stuck in the tracks minutes before a train was due.

I wonder how many minutes passed. I don't know that area but I am surprised nobody was around for minutes. Must have been an isolated area or very quiet area in the middle of Toshima ward

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I wiah she rest in peace that will end her pains forever. This is definately a very sad news

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Why do people just stand there and let disaster happen?

Apparently no one actually saw this happen (apart from the poor driver). The old lady was caught on street cameras.

News footage last night showed the crossing leads off a quite narrow street that looked like it rarely had many people about.

The old lady had been having trouble with her knees since the start of the year, and couldn't walk far without either her pushcart or a stick. When the wheel got stuck she couldn't just walk away. She must have been terrified, poor thing.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

there really needs to be separate walkways for the elderly that need walking aids like this. not only are they a danger to themselves, but they involve others as well. special designated old people walkways might curb these accidents

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

Why do people just stand there and let disaster happen? It was witnessed in Nishinomiya when an ALT who will remain unnamed lifted the wooden bar to allow a woman with a child on her bicycle to exit the track. A simple traditional nod of the head was received, and life went on. In another incident witnesses saw a man walking in the reverse way of an escalator. He was trying to pull a hand-held cart full of boxes with him. He fell and the boxes continually hit him because the escalator was moving upwards and gravity pulled everything downward. The same ALT ran to the escalator and pushed the emergency shut off. In both situation a simple action saved two people. This information needs to be taught in schools.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

I remember the story from two or three years ago where a father and his 20 something daughter were in their car at the crossing gate @ Kamoi station on the Yokohama line. the daughter witnessed an old person stuck on the tracks she got out of the car to help and was struck and killed by the train. the elderly person got away with minor injuries. I still feel for the dad.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Horrible way to go after living 78 years. The driver is probably traumatized too.

God.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Saw this on NHK last night. So sad!!!

Also the driver. Man....I am sure words cannot describe how he or she is feeling!

Just a terrible accident all the way around

6 ( +7 / -1 )

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