Man arrested over hit-and-run death of 6-year-old boy

AOMORI — Police in Aomori City have arrested a 36-year-old man on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death in connection with the hit-and-run death of a 6-year-old boy on Saturday.

Police said Shuhei Yamaya, who works for a construction company, was driving a crane truck at around 7 p.m. when he hit 6-year-old Riku Yanagisawa and then kept going, TBS reported.

The boy was alone and crossing the street when he was hit. He was taken to a hospital in an unconscious state, and was pronounced dead about 30 minutes later.

According to reports, after seeing damage to the front of the truck at his company, Yamaya returned to the scene and told a police officer that he might have been the one who caused the accident.

Police said Yamaya has partially denied the allegation and quoted him as saying “I hit something, but didn't think it was a person."

The driver of a vehicle following Yamaya told police that a white crane truck fled the scene. Furthermore, police obtained dashcam footage from an oncoming vehicle, showing what appears to be Yamaya’s truck.

The accident occurred on a straight, single-lane road. It was dark and there are no streetlights.

© Japan Today