His First Season as a Pro Takes a Dark Turn… Baseball Player Arrested for “Hit-and-Run Incident”—A “Mistake” He Can Never Fully Regret

A call to 110 reported that someone had been “hit by a car”

Around 9:00 a.m. on July 2, a young man wearing a yellow sweatshirt emerged from the Yotsukaido Police Station in Chiba Prefecture amid a torrential downpour. Although quite tall, he walked with his back hunched and his head bowed. His gaze was vacant, and he appeared dazed by the circumstances he found himself in—.

On July 1, the Chiba Prefectural Police arrested Seiichi Sakamoto (20), a player for the “Chiba Sky Sailors” of the Route Inn BC League—an independent baseball league based in the Kanto and Koshinetsu regions—on suspicion of violating the Act on Punishment of Motor Vehicle Drivers (negligent injury) and the Road Traffic Act (hit-and-run).

“The incident occurred around 12:40 p.m. on June 30. Suspect Seiichi Sakamoto is suspected of striking a man standing on the right side of his vehicle and causing him to fall as he pulled out of the parking lot at the victim’s residence in Shiroi City, Chiba Prefecture, and then fleeing the scene without providing assistance.The man called 110 to report that he had been “hit by a car.”

Suspect Sakamoto reportedly partially denies the charges, stating, ‘There’s no doubt I drove away, but I didn’t know he was injured.’ He also claimed that the victim struck his side mirror, and police are investigating the possibility that some kind of altercation occurred between the two men.” (Social Affairs Reporter, National Newspaper)

According to his BC League profile, Sakamoto is a 181 cm, 88 kg right-hander whose pitching style is characterized by a fast fastball with a top speed of 146 km/h and a curveball that creates contrast in speed.He attended a Tokyo Metropolitan high school and, although he never made it to Koshien, he was apparently noted as a promising pitcher known as the “Star of Public Schools.” After graduating, he played for a corporate club team. In November of last year, he was selected as the first overall pick by Chiba in the BC League draft, and this was his first season.

Regarding the accident involving suspect Sakamoto, the BC League issued the following statement on the 1st titled “Regarding Reports on a Player Belonging to the Chiba Sky Sailors”:

“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the victim of the accident. The Chiba Sky Sailors are currently investigating the facts of the matter and will issue another announcement as soon as the facts have been confirmed.
We sincerely apologize to all fans, shareholders, and sponsors of the Chiba Sky Sailors and the Route-Inn BC League for causing concern.〉

If You Drive Away, It’s Considered a “Hit-and-Run”

This incident appears to be more of a dispute than a typical hit-and-run. While the exact circumstances are unclear, I wondered: if, for example, an argument escalates and one party flees in a car, would it still be considered a “hit-and-run” even if the other person was injured? I asked Mr. Munenori Kumagai, a former traffic accident investigator with the Chiba Prefectural Police and the head of the Traffic Accident Investigation and Analysis Office.

“I was with the Chiba Prefectural Police for 24 years, and disputes are just as common as traffic accidents. In cases where people get out of their cars and end up in a fistfight, it’s not uncommon for the incident to be handled as ‘both parties at fault’ and not treated as a criminal case.

In this particular incident, I don’t know the exact details—whether the victim was trying to stop the car from moving or was trying to say something to the driver as the car was pulling away—but the nature of the crime depends on the circumstances.For example, if an argument broke out and the driver started the car, causing the other person to fall and get injured, it would be considered negligence and classified as ‘negligent driving resulting in injury.’ However, if the driver simply drives away, it becomes ‘hit-and-run.’

On the other hand, if the driver started the car with the intent to injure the person they were arguing with, it would constitute “assault” under the Penal Code; if they intended to kill, it would be “attempted murder.”“The reason they arrested the suspect for hit-and-run in this case is likely because they heard the victim’s account of the situation at the time and determined it was negligence. If it was a dispute, the perpetrator isn’t necessarily the only one at fault, so I believe they are conducting a careful investigation.”

On the other hand, the act of standing in front of a car to prevent it from moving could potentially be charged as obstruction of business by intimidation or coercion. So, what should you do if you’re in a car and someone starts picking a fight with you?

“Under no circumstances should you drive off. Close your windows completely and then call 110. While pedestrians are usually the overwhelmingly vulnerable party, in situations like this, the driver is actually the vulnerable one. Make it clear that you’re calling 110, and under no circumstances should you make physical contact with the other person,” (ibid.)

Suspect Sakamoto, in his first season as a professional, has found himself at the center of an unexpected incident. While disciplinary action from the team has not yet been determined, there is no doubt that this will leave him with deep regret.