News
Singer Kentaro Hayami in Accident Resulting in Women's Death
posted on by Andrew Osmond
Singer Kentarō Hayami was involved in a road accident in Japan which resulted in the death of a 78-year-old woman. The female pedestrian passed away in hospital from hemorrhagic shock.
The accident happened in Kawagoe, Saitama, on July 16 at around 1:15 p.m. Hayami's car struck the woman while she was crossing a pedestrian walkway on a green light. The woman, Sachiko Okubo, was taken to a hospital, but a chest wound caused hemorrhagic shock. She died at 12:50 a.m. on July 17.
Questioned after the incident, Hayami claimed that he "was distracted by something in the passenger seat." The police intend to send papers on Hayami to prosecutors, on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death.
Hayami is best known in Japan for the 1999 hit song "Dango 3 Kyōdai," and as a guest on NHK Educational channel's Okaasan to Issho (With Mother) program. He also performed (sometimes under the name Atsuo Tanimoto) songs for Chōriku Sentai O-Ranger, Mach Go Go Go, Mobile Police Patlabor, Iron Leaguer, and Ginga Sengoku Gunyūden Rai.
Source: Daily Yomiuri, Sankei Sports via Tokyograph
this article has been modified since it was originally posted; see change history