Four people were killed when the minivan they were traveling in collided head-on with a dump truck in Sodegaura City, Chiba Prefecture, early Tuesday morning.
According to police, the accident occurred just before 1 a.m. TV Asahi quoted police as saying that the minivan apparently veered from its side of the road into oncoming traffic after a tire punctured.
Following the crash, emergency responders pulled four people -- three men and one woman aged 20 and younger -- out of the minivan and rushed them to the hospital where they were all pronounced dead shortly after. The 73-year-old driver of the dump truck sustained light injuries, police said.
© Japan Today
16 Comments
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papigiulio
no seatbelts? thats a quick judgement. Minivans or kei-kars are deathtraps. Especially a head-on with a truck, I think the car is completely totaled.
Harry_Gatto
In the first line of the third paragraph.
A.N. Other
onagagamo,
Seat belts won't help you if the car has been turned into an accordion.
nath
Just got an update: a FLAT TIRE the reason why the driver lost control and collided with the truck
Disillusioned
It only takes a split second of lost concentration and 'whammy!' You and your mates are dead! Four young people dead. A sad tale that happens too often all over the world.
FightingViking
Not necessarily "drunk" or "drugs" - could have just fallen asleep at the wheel. I feel sorry for the truck driver - it will always be HIS fault according to Japanese law.
WilliB
onagagamo:
Seatbelts would not matter if it is minivan vs dump-truck head-on. The result would be the same.
sensei258
I think Viking is right about this one.
AU_user_since_1998
More pictures here:
http://www.xanthous.jp/2014/11/18/sodegaura-city-fatal-accidents/
CraigHicks
From the pictures, I agree with donAlbert. The back seat area is intact.
In my opinion, from the safety point of view, the design of passenger seats in cars, trains, and planes is completely wrong. They should all be facing backwards - then the impact would be absorbed without slack evenly along the back from head to bottom - there would be many fewer injuries - even if seatbelts weren't being worn!
nath
As we all know Japanese tend to believe that backseat passengers need no belts... In this case, we are talking about a kei car colliding against an incoming truck, so, probably it was completely smashed. Anyway, if passengers on the back seats were wearing seat belts, they probably had bigger chances to survive than without strapping in.
I call people to pay attention, kei cars are not so safe and seatbelts are a MUST.
Early this year I nearly got fired at work for refusing to travel in a company's van on a back seat because it didnt have seat belts. This is how people ignores safety rules.
smithinjapan
ReformedBasher: "1 AM. My guess would be alcohol and/or drugs were involved."
And you would be wrong. It was a blowout that sent the car into the opposite lane. The story may have been updated, but the assumption is still wrong.
In any case, RIP to these kids. Horrible accident.
onagagamo
No seatbelts, guaranteed.
ReformedBasher
@Smith
My guess was a guess, there's 50% chance it would be wrong.
"Wrong" mentioned twice. Are you enjoying the fact?
Well, in that case, I'll change my opinion. That's allowed, isn't it?
Tough break kids. Life too short.
ReformedBasher
1 AM. My guess would be alcohol and/or drugs were involved.
Sorry about the victims but also sorry for the driver.
DiscoJ
@Disillusioned Where does it say that any of them were young?