Car carrying five 13-year-old students crashes, killing one in Okayama

' parents collectively at fault for allowing them to be out at that time of night'

' what kind of parents let their 13 year old kids stay out all night? ?'

Never heard of kids sneaking out after their parents fall asleep? What parent is going to say, 'Here, take the keys to the car' to 13-year-olds?

"hit a pole on the median strip" Really?

Look at where the impact was. Left side center. The impact was so hard the damage went through the crumple zone and bent the door open which is latched on to the horizontal frame. If the car "hit a pole," why is the front still intact but bent by the impact from the side?

There was a lot more involved than hitting a pole. How can you hit a pole from the side?

I used to drive the neighbors kids back and forth to the movies or shopping center in a van, and one of the parents scolded me (and then I was scolded by my bitter half) because I stopped the van and went back and re-buckled a couple of kids in who had unbuckled themselves and were climbing between the seats.

I traded the van in the next day for a sedan, and told my wife that if the prevailing attitude was I was wrong for making sure the occupants were buckled in, we will not be shlepping kids around anymore, and I would take our kids, or they would not be going.

I’m guessing those blaming the parents do not have teenage kids. If they want out, they will get out. I used to hide my car keys when my eldest was in his mid-teens.

Late night meeting of teenagers in a stolen car ends in death. Sounds pretty normal to me.

@Mike James - that is a fine example of someone (you) doing exactly the right thing. I hope your family and neighbours learned from it. How they can be annoyed at you for keeping everyone safe, I don't understand.

Also: bitter half ? Typo or ...?

As usual, we are not given enough information to make an opinion. Are the parents to blame? Was it one of the kids who egged the others on? Were the parents drunk and incapable or did they believe in all innocence that their children were snoozing away in their futons?

With a bit more information, we might be able to formulate an opinion. As it is, there is nothing to give a thumbs up or down for.

Late night meeting of teenagers in a stolen car ends in death. Sounds pretty normal to me.

Honestly, what part of that sounds normal?

Maybe i'm a lucky guy, but my kids have never done anything like that

When I was young I used to sneak out all the time. Seriously some expect parents lock up 13 year olds in cages or something. We don't know all the info. Some parents need to work overnight depending on their jobs to make extra cash (raising kids isn't cheap). You can have the best parents in the world and still have a child act out, and vice versa. Can't 100% blame the parents here, unless one of them was like "here, take my keys, and grab a cold chuhai from the fridge".

Snickers: "Ok, let's wait foq more information before we call this one"

Like what? what more do you need? Five junior high school kids driving very late at night, when the age for getting a license is 18. An empty chuhai can was found as well, but even if they weren't drinking while driving, they still should not have been driving at all, and for good reason... this being it.

Very stupid kids, and very, very unfortunately they are paying the highest price for it. The kids that survive are going to have to live with this, and while that is to an extent punishment, I think they still need to be charged for a number of things, including causing death. Not as adults, but they still need to face the consequences of their actions in all respects.

Why thumb down DNA ?

He said exactly what I was thinking - what kind of parents let their 13 year old kids stay out all night? ?

If we have the the wrong idea then i'm sorry but it looks like 5 13-year old kids went joyriding at 5 o'clock in the morning

Same thing happened to a friend's high school daughter in Okayama many years ago. We still have her desk upstairs. Four of them out at night joyriding and they hit a bridge railing and dropped into a river. She was sitting in the passenger seat allowing her boyfriend to drive, and she was the one not to make it. The family did not want the driver attending her funeral.

Terribly sad for all concerned but the recrimination and guilt for the driver can be unbearable.

Looks like car has slid sideways and wrapped around a pole and blown front tire in process!

Ok, let's wait foq more information before we call this one

@snickers - Honestly, what part of that sounds normal

The part where five teenage kids were joyriding in a stolen car, crashed it and one of them ended up dead. It’s a very familiar scenario and a ‘normal’ result.

From the damage to the car I would say they were going pretty fast.

I wonder what kind of parents these kids have. And the girl was probably not wearing a seat belt either. RIP!

Years ago, I was driving a half-dozen of my daughter's friends, and the distraction caused me to swipe a guard rail. If an adult had been driving the car, the distraction might be understandable; if a child, the adults should be responsible.

The accident is very bad and scary. It is very dangerous. I can not believe who thirteen years old student was occurred the accident. In addition, He was killed the girl. It is very terrible, I feel sorry for her and her girl and her parents. Okayama is very safety and quiet town , I think that I want to live there when I had visited there . There's people is friendly, I didn't think that there is not occured like accident. That is too bad. The student was going to do fooling around but what the student did to her and hers person concerned is cruel. The student should apologize to the girl in the student's life. If the student like it will increase, I can not walk around there or also street. I think that people less than thirty years old should not drive car and motorcycle.

If they were not teached to drive car and motorcycle, they will 

happened accident like the case immediately. People should not drive car by eighteen years old. We must protect the rule. Teacher and local people,family has to teach to student and children about row and rule. We must not break the rule, in order to live safely. Today, people are happened like the accident in japan. We should protect children by accident, in order to go to school. We must not break the rule by eighteen years old . If we will protect the rule, we can live safety in here.

I was going out at night but :

never did something that so against the law (no driver license/underaged while driving on open road at night, not everyone with seatbelt and tired, maybe worse...)

never was to put friends at risk

told my parents I would be coming home late but defined hours more or less

5 am is very late for 13 year old kids, and I did plenty late nights out. Kids that age are totally exhausted so late.

1 parent or 2 may not have known true, 10 parents so unaware is a crime in many countries. Responsible til 18 (20 in Japan til now, what a joke).

If they had killed another person or several ones, would still no one to blame except the kids ?

Murder a string away.

DNA and Snicker, Can't quickly blame the parents. Why? Well, for one, no info about it in the article and two, I for one know that not all parents know that their child is out all night. I'm from the 70s and my parents never knew I climb out my window to hang out with friends most of the night. Guess things haven't changed.

Joy riding obviously, parents collectively at fault for allowing them to be out at that time of night.

Having seen the picture of the wreck I am amazed any of them survived!

Very sad result of childish stupidity.

And anyone here who blames the parents outright must have had a terribly boring upbringing and youth!

So did one of the kids buy a chi hai or did they take it along with the car keys while the parents were asleep?

"Bitter half" is a new'ish expression...C'mon...Google things before asking easy questions...it's all out there! @Mike - good on you to trade the van in and not take any crap from kids' idiot parents or your nasty wife. My folks did an amazing job of raising kids but I still managed to sneak out...never stole the car for a joy ride but it is completely understandable how this isn't just the parents' fault. A bunch of stupid kids who will have to pay for their idiocy for the rest of their lives!

Sure those parents should get proper punishment.

Wonder where was police petrol that early morning?

Is there any responsibility of administration too?