How One Irreparable Mistake Turned a Baseball Player’s First Pro Season Into a Nightmare After a Hit-and-Run Arrest

Victim called 110, saying, “I’ve been hit.”

At around 9:00 a.m. on July 2, a young man emerged from the Yotsukaido Police Station in Chiba Prefecture as heavy rain poured down. Wearing a yellow sweatshirt, the tall man walked with his back hunched and his head lowered. His gaze appeared vacant, as though he were still in shock over the situation he had 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. He was arrested on suspicion of negligent injury while driving under Japan’s Act on Punishment of Acts Inflicting Death or Injury by Driving a Motor Vehicle, as well as hit-and-run in violation of the Road Traffic Act.

“The incident occurred at around 12:40 p.m. on June 30. Investigators allege that Sakamoto drove a light passenger vehicle out of the parking area of a residence in Shiroi City, Chiba Prefecture, struck a man who was standing on the right side of the vehicle, knocking him to the ground, and then fled without providing assistance. The victim called 110, reporting that he had been hit.

Sakamoto has partially denied the allegations, reportedly saying, ‘It’s true that I drove away, but I didn’t know anyone had been injured.’ He also claims that the victim struck his side mirror, and police believe some kind of dispute occurred between the two before the incident.”

—National newspaper crime reporter

According to his BC League player profile, Sakamoto is a 181 cm (5 ft 11 in), 88 kg (194 lb) right-handed pitcher whose strengths include a fastball topping out at 146 km/h (about 91 mph) and a curveball that gives him effective changes of pace.

He attended a Tokyo metropolitan high school and never reached the prestigious National High School Baseball Championship at Koshien, but was reportedly regarded as one of the standout pitchers among public-school players. After graduation, he joined a corporate amateur club team. Last November, he was selected first overall by the Chiba Sky Sailors in the BC League draft, making this his first professional season.

On July 1, following news of Sakamoto’s arrest, the BC League released the following statement titled “Regarding Reports Concerning a Chiba Sky Sailors Player”:

“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the victim of this accident. The Chiba Sky Sailors are currently investigating the facts of the incident and will provide further information once the details have been confirmed.

We sincerely apologize to all fans, shareholders, sponsors, and everyone who supports the Chiba Sky Sailors and the Route Inn BC League for the concern this has caused.”

Leaving the scene turns it into a hit-and-run

This case appears to involve more than a typical hit-and-run, with signs that some sort of dispute may have preceded the incident. Although the exact circumstances remain unclear, would it still be considered a hit-and-run if, for example, an argument broke out, one person tried to drive away, and the other was injured in the process?

Munenori Kumagai, a former traffic accident investigator with the Chiba Prefectural Police and now head of the Traffic Accident Investigation and Analysis Office, offered his perspective.

“I spent 24 years with the Chiba Prefectural Police, and disputes like these were almost as common as ordinary traffic accidents. In cases where both parties got out of their vehicles and ended up in a fistfight, it wasn’t unusual for police to treat it as a mutual altercation and not pursue it as a criminal case.

In this incident, we don’t yet know whether the victim was trying to stop the vehicle from leaving or whether he approached the car to say something as it was pulling away. The legal classification depends on the circumstances. For example, if the two were arguing and the driver pulled away, causing the other person to fall and suffer injuries, that would generally constitute negligent injury by dangerous driving. However, if the driver then left the scene without rendering aid, it becomes a hit-and-run.

On the other hand, if the driver deliberately accelerated with the intention of injuring the other person during the argument, that would constitute assault causing injury under the Criminal Code. If the intent was to kill, it could even amount to attempted murder. The fact that police arrested him on suspicion of hit-and-run suggests they likely concluded, based on the victim’s account at the time, that the injuries resulted from negligence. If there was indeed a dispute, responsibility may not rest entirely with the driver, so I believe investigators are proceeding cautiously.”

Kumagai also noted that a person who deliberately stands in front of a vehicle to prevent it from moving could potentially face charges such as forcible obstruction of business or coercion.

So what should someone do if they are sitting in their car and another person begins confronting or provoking them?

“Under no circumstances should you drive off. Roll up your windows completely and call 110 immediately. Normally pedestrians are the more vulnerable party, but in a situation like this, the person inside the vehicle is actually the vulnerable one. Make it clear that you’ve called the police, and above all, do not make any physical contact with the other person.”

For Sakamoto, who was in his very first professional season, the incident has become an unexpected setback. While the team’s disciplinary action has yet to be announced, there is little doubt that the case will leave a lasting mark on his career.