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Truck rear-ends car, killing man, 2 children

28 Comments

A man and his two children died Friday when the car they were traveling in was rear-ended by a 10-ton truck on the Isewangan Expressway in Aichi Prefecture.

According to police, the accident occurred at about 5 a.m. NTV quoted police as saying a family of four were traveling in a rental car when the vehicle developed a problem. The father suddenly pulled over at which point it was hit from behind by the truck.

Police said a two-year-old boy and a 3-month-old baby girl sitting in child seats in the back and their 31-year-old father suffered extensive injuries and were pronounced dead in hospital. A fourth passenger, the children's 30-year-old mother, suffered neck injuries, police said.

Police are questioning the drive to see if he was speeding and whether to charge him with negligent driving resulting in death. He was quoted by police as saying he couldn't see clearly in front of him, NTV reported.

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28 Comments
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It appears by everyone's comments that there is no law against tailgating. On regular surface roads, one could stop or drive slower to piss off the tailgaitor but not on a highway. Just signal and move over.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I saw images of that car on the news, cripes, there wasn't much left of the rear section. The truck driver couldn't see clearly in front of him, eh? And why not?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Reading the Japanese news it does not appear to say the husband "pulled over".

According to the wife, the car suddenly lost forward momentum and stopped in the middle lane. The 10-ton truck went straight into the back of it.

To me this sounds like a snapped timing belt, which usually needs to be changed at around 100,000 clicks.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The cops really need to crack down on truck drivers tailgating, and we need to too. Next time a truck driver tailgates you make a note of his company and registration number and phone his company the next day with the time and location.

Excellent idea Frungy..

Just don't reach for a pen and paper or your phone to snap a picture while you're driving. ^o-

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If you can't see in front of you and you hit something in front of you, you were going too fast for the conditions.

Let me restate, unless I am wrong, the Japanese news report said that he reached for a cigaret. There is your reason he didn't see the car, it doesn't seem to have any thing to do with poor visibility. It was on a bridge also and the car from the damage, looked like it had not stopped on the side of the road but in the middle of it.

So not only should the truck driver be charged but so should the government agency the over saw the construction and signed off on the design. Then you have the rental car agency, and if fully investigated, what will the maintenance records show? There are a few liabilities here but the fall guy will be the truck driver since he is a "professional".

A bit carried away don't you think? Sue the rental company for not painting all their cars yellow and put flashing safety lights on them too?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

the vehicle developed a problem

suddenly pulled over

How the the police not this? Did the wife say this?

saying he couldn’t see clearly in front of him

Sounds like the truck drive is a fault and based on his statement should be charged with "negligent driving resulting in death". If you can't see in front of you and you hit something in front of you, you were going too fast for the conditions. That being said, Japanese highways are poorly constructed. What I mean is that don't have a safety median. The safety median needs to be wider than a lane so cars and trucks can get out of traffic. Usually this is impossible since they are elevated with barriers. So not only should the truck driver be charged but so should the government agency the over saw the construction and signed off on the design. Then you have the rental car agency, and if fully investigated, what will the maintenance records show? There are a few liabilities here but the fall guy will be the truck driver since he is a "professional".

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is what happened. The truck was tailgating the car. The car developed difficulties and slowed down, but the truck was so close that the driver couldn't see anything but the roof of the car, and was way to close to stop. Result, 3 dead.

Frungy, please get your information correct before you post such comments. The car was already stopped in between of highway when the accident happened, can you imagine yourself in a car standing in middle of a highway??? Secondly, there was a car between the truck and victims car, so there was no tailgating. Its a bad and tragic accident.

For people crying about safe distance, safe distance is maintained between moving cars. The victims car was parked in middle of highway, 10 ton trucks could never stop so easily and its always a bit late before truck driver realizes and applies brakes! And regarding maintaining safe distance, I tried to drive with safe distance many times (my car has radar cruise control which can drive and maintain safe distance automatically) but whenever you make safe distance there comes in a new car between making you go back and again and again until you decide to get closer to car in front of you.

I have been myself driving car for hundreds of times for more than ten years on different roads and speedways. If you are driving at a reasonable speed (which is slightly more than speed limit) then there are few chances someone would tailgate you.

All I can say is, parents should have gone back to home on train or bus rather than using rental car if they are not good drivers. In Japan, rental car are basically well maintained and I doubt it was car fault of stopping suddenly in Aichi after driving from Tokyo. Truck driver should have been more careful too but all that doesnt matters when accident has to happen. My heart aches for the young kids. RIP babies

0 ( +1 / -1 )

without knowing the details.. as JT will probably not post the follow-up story to this (after the investigation).. tough to say what really happened.

Frungy probably has it spot on, truck driver's in Japan are absolute lunatics - lost count of how many times I'm doing 110 on the highway (posted speed limit is 80) and seeing nothing but a grill in my rear view mirror. Its scary and down right dangerous!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That poor woman has just lost her entire family, just like that. I cant begin to imagine what she is going through but my heart breaks for her.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I was traveling home from a business trip a few weeks ago along winding coastal roads, mostly single lanes, and EVERY SINGLE TRUCK (without exception) tailgated me.

The reason is simple. The truck drivers know that if they can force the car in front of them to go faster then they'll be able to speed with no chance of a speeding ticket. The car in front shields their license plate from the camera (if they're VERY close) and the poor SOB in front gets a speeding ticket while the truck driver gets off scott free. Of course they also arrive at their delivery point faster, which (if they do it often enough) means bonuses for early or on-time deliveries, plus some extra rest time for them in their schedule.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is what happened. The truck was tailgating the car. The car developed difficulties and slowed down, but the truck was so close that the driver couldn't see anything but the roof of the car, and was way to close to stop. Result, 3 dead.

The cops really need to crack down on truck drivers tailgating, and we need to too. Next time a truck driver tailgates you make a note of his company and registration number and phone his company the next day with the time and location. I managed to get one truck driver's details and phoned his company and got through to the CEO of the company and blasted him sideways on the phone for his driver's illegal and unethical conduct, and told him that the next time I saw ANY of his trucks tailgating ANYONE I would be phoning the police. By the end of it the CEO was apologising and offering me free stuff (fish... its what the company mostly delivers apparently). I refused, but told him to tell his drivers to cut it out or the police would be paying his company a visit.

... and now I read this story, and feel I should have just called the police on the company. I note with interest that the truck company isn't named in the story. I really feel it should be.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

On Route 16 here in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama I stay the hell away from these savages in the 18 wheelers! But I always see idiots in small K cars driving between 2 huge big rigs! Only a few meters apart, if they slam on the brakes, and this idiot in his K car is sandwhiched beteween 2 huge trucks??? I guess you all can get the bloody picture!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

From the news it looks like he hit the car straight on the back, not the corner of the car and it was in a bridge so maybe the driver stopped more in the middle of the lane than on the side. Still the truck driver should have been more careful. Please check me but I thought I heard on the news he was reaching for a cigarette.

Looking at the car, I would say also that having seats in the car near the frno or the back is not so safe. Good recommendation to buy a big long yank tank.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

OMG. I saw the news footage this evening. That car was totally destroyed. There was absolutely no back seat left and you can see the contents inside the trunk. It look like the truck drove straight through car all the way up to front seat. I didn't have to read the report. I can tell everyone died in this tragic accident.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

what a tragedy.I think Its time the Japanese truck manufacturers started using modern braking and handling technology like their European counterparts...

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Another careless neglignet irresponsible truck driver probably texting or reading manga while blasting down the highway.

Time to start treating these truckies here with the full force of the law and make examples of the ones who cuase accidents.

The police should be regularly pulling these guys over and going over them and their trucks thoroughly, too often you can see large trucks with bald tires and other obvious defects sitting next to traffic at red lights, makes me wonder if they are give impunity.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

The article states clearly that the driver of the car pulled over, many people on here are assuming the truck driver was directly behind , the driver of the car may have miscalculated and pulled directly in front of the truck at a much lower speed. In which case the truck driver very well may not have had the time to stop his vehicle even if he wasn't speeding. Too many variables here and not enough information

1 ( +1 / -0 )

if it was at a legal distance (6 seconds behind). I think that is the rule?

One car length for each 10k of speed

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Look from what I have seen trucks in Japan are nice compared to Australia. Ive had trucks going 130km/h around corners in the middle of the road forcing you to literally drive into a ditch and get bogged.

The dad was probably tired and was not thinking clearly. He pulled over too quickly, braking hard. I do not know the facts...if he braked normally...then the truck behind should have had plenty of time to avoid collision if it was at a legal distance (6 seconds behind). I think that is the rule?

Or the truck was too close... Or speeding. I guess we will have to wait for follow up story?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Driving in Japan id pretty pisspoor and truckers are amon the worst of them in terms of road manners and dangerous driving.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

To attempt to get out of the way of any vehicle 'tailgating' - (a new law in UK makes it a careless driving offence - with on the spot fines) can be dangerous and scarey. Last time I pulled over to allow a 'driver in a hurry' (speeding on a back lane) to pass - he was so close - he could see no reason for me to do so, and he pulled over, also, - stopping behind me. Realizing his error, gave him an attack of road rage, so he pulled out and sped away - looking backwards as he went, to make sure I saw his several one and two finger gestures. I just hope he has all the roads to himself, for as long as he uses them.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The car suddenly stopping should have no bearing on this at all. The truck should have been travelling at a safe distance and speed behind the vehicle so he could stop.

Exactly.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

As well as pray for the souls of those who died, I can not but pray for the future of those who were left behind Including the truck driver.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

The Isewangandoro is a really new highway with a fairly large shoulder to pull over. It's really large as well, three lanes most of the way and I use it all the time. I can't really understand how the driver could say that he couldn't see clearly. Strange.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The title of the article is a bit misleading... If the rental car was not up to date with all the safety inspections or it broke down because of bad maintenance work by the rental company they should be slapped with part of the blame.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He was quoted by police as saying he couldn’t see clearly in front of him

Why? What was he doing instead of watching the road? Texting? Reading a newspaper? Checking his make up?

The car suddenly stopping should have no bearing on this at all. The truck should have been travelling at a safe distance and speed behind the vehicle so he could stop.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

the title is deceiving and does not reflect the main piece of information relating to the cause of the accident. "Car suddenly pulls over on the highway and is rear-ended by a truck" may reduce the ridiculous comments of people who don't bother to read the contents. A very sad accident, the car may have had some problem and suddenly stopped, a 10-ton truck cannot stop that easily, especially on a highway

9 ( +9 / -0 )

These Japanese truck drivers are some of the biggest idiot fools I have ever seen in my life!! Poor family!! RIP poor family

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Poor little children never had a chance to grow up. Hope they didn't suffer.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

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