Elderly Taxi Driver Found Guilty over Fatal Hit-and-Run in Tokyo

Tokyo, Sept. 3 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese court on Thursday sentenced former taxi driver Kiyotaka Zanami, 79, to three years in prison, suspended for five years, for his role in a hit-and-run in Tokyo that resulted in the death of a corporate worker in 2024.

Zanami's taxi collided with the worker, Takeo Omura, 49, who was walking in front of the vehicle in Toshima Ward around 2 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2024, according to the ruling. Zanami did not rescue Omura, who was subsequently hit by another vehicle and died.

"It was irresponsible to leave and run away when he could have predicted the risk of collision with the following car," Judge Yuko Ito of Tokyo District Court said. "The degree of accusation is high considering that he was a professional driver."

Ito added that Zanami's fault was not serious because he had turned the steering wheel after seeing Omura about 30 meters before the collision.

Zanami has told the court that he did not rescue Omura because he gave priority to the passenger. While asked about his age of 77 at the time of the accident, he has said that he thought he was going to quit as a taxi driver before causing an accident.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]