“I’ll Never Forget You, I Love You”—Third-Grade Girl Killed at Crosswalk as 20-Year-Old Suspect’s Critical Negligence Comes to Light

Even though she was crossing the crosswalk

ven though she was crossing the crosswalk.

“Yui-chan, thank you for playing with me! Please watch over us from the sky. I’ll never forget you. I love you so much.”

Many flowers were placed at the scene. The message was likely from a classmate. The young victim was said to be athletic and cheerful. Thinking about her life being suddenly cut short, one couldn’t help but put their hands together in prayer.

At around 5:30 p.m. on April 2, in Totsuka Ward, Yokohama City, a woman passing by called 110, reporting, “There’s been an accident between a passenger car and a pedestrian. An elementary school girl is not responding.” The victim, eight-year-old Yui Nakanishi, a third-grade elementary school student living nearby, was taken to the hospital but died about an hour and a half later. The Totsuka Police Station of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police arrested on the spot Kyoga Harada (20), a part-time worker from Sakae Ward in the same city, who was driving the passenger car, on suspicion of negligent driving causing injury under the Act on Punishment of Acts Inflicting Death or Injury by Driving a Motor Vehicle. The charge was later changed to negligent driving resulting in death.

“The scene was a T-shaped intersection without traffic signals. Yui-chan was crossing the crosswalk with two friends when she was hit by Harada’s car, which was traveling straight from the right.

Harada has stated that he recognized Yui was near the crosswalk and has admitted to the allegations. At the time of the accident, a male friend was in the passenger seat, and he reportedly said they were on their way to pick up a man who lives nearby and go hang out together,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department.

The intersection where the accident occurred is located roughly in the middle of a straight road stretching about 400 meters with good visibility. There is a moderate amount of traffic, and children frequently cross between a residential area with apartment buildings and a greenway or park on the other side of the crosswalk, making it a place long considered dangerous. A man living nearby said:

“As someone who drives, that intersection was a place to be especially careful. Because it’s a straight road with no signal, you tend to pick up speed, and I’ve had close calls where small children suddenly stepped out onto the road. I’ve heard there was also an accident there about three years ago.”

There is no concept of darting out in accidents on crosswalks

Based on current reports, there appears to be no serious negligence by the suspect, such as using a smartphone while driving. However, Munenori Kumagai, a former traffic investigator and head of a traffic accident investigation and analysis office, says, “A crosswalk is a sanctuary for pedestrians, so checks must be thorough.”

“The accident occurred during twilight, when it wasn’t completely dark yet. It’s possible the girl’s small height and roadside barriers made her harder to see, but the crosswalk itself should have been visible from a distance. Drivers have a duty to check not only for people already crossing but also for pedestrians about to cross. If they are sufficiently aware and looking ahead, they should be able to see the entire intersection. The delayed recognition likely means the driver either failed to slow down properly or neglected to check. That’s probably the cause of the accident.

For example, if a child suddenly runs out near a park in a place without a crosswalk and an accident occurs, the driver’s negligence may sometimes be considered less severe. However, in accidents on a crosswalk, there is no concept of darting out. Drivers must treat a crosswalk as if it were part of the sidewalk that the car is crossing and must ensure safety accordingly.”

However, Kumagai noted one point of concern regarding this particular accident.

“At crosswalks at intersections without traffic lights, there should be highly visible diamond-shaped road markings (‘diamond marks’) placed 30 and 50 meters before the crossing. But from what I’ve seen in the footage, those markings don’t appear to be there. Even so, on such a straight road with good visibility, it’s hard to believe the crosswalk ahead wasn’t visible, so it doesn’t change the fact that the suspect likely failed to properly check ahead.”

The fact that a moment of inattention took away a young girl’s future forever is something that must be taken seriously.

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