One dies in Kadena Town traffic accident

[JUNewsBot]

JUNewsBot Has Just Posted the Following:

An elderly man died Monday afternoon after his car went out of control, crashed into a median divider, then careened into the back of an American military truck.Officials say Shoei Shimabukuro was driving toward Kadena Rotary from Okinawa City on Route 74 when he apparently lost control, his car striking the center divider, and then hitting the rear end of a military truck stopped at a traffic light at Kadena Road Station T-Junction.

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[Tempestuous]

Can't help but wonder if there would have been more casualties had it been another car the size of his car?
It is possible though had he not his as solid of a vehicle he might not have been injured as severely.
Not enough info in just this article to say for certain.

[roxy_skyy]

I'm wondering how fast he was going. I mean, I know it doesn't take much to smash in a car up around here, but my goodness! I hate when things like that happen around here.

[socalheart]

He had to have been going fast enough for his car to jump the center divider. I wonder if it would've made the news if he had hit another Japanese car. I also wonder how much of a bump the military truck felt when struck by the car, since the truck had no damage done to it. Thank goodness the truck was at a complete stop, or else the JP would've found a reason to blame the Americans for the accident and death. :rolleyes:

[DoctorP]

Seems to me he hit the divider, didn't jump it, then hit the back of the truck that was going in the same direction. He didn't have to go very fast as the truck is made of steel, and his car was very lightweight. Not to mention the height of the new trucks and the fact that his car probably slid under the truck for the most part meaning impact would have been at chest or head level for the old man!

Of course I am merely speculating as there are not enough facts listed in the story for me to be sure!

[Okihwn]

First it was a local MLC worker driving the truck. Second it was a 7-ton dump truck that the older man rear ended. Not much of a chance if in a small Japanese car. And there's speculation that he had some kind of medical condition which cause him to lose control, perhaps a stroke or heart attack.

[roxy_skyy]

I don't know...stuff like that always makes me curious to know. I just feel bad, I guess. Of course, I drive pretty crazy, and some of the older people out here do too. I don't know...you're right there isn't enough facts.

[Okihwn]

MLC co-worker of mine drove by the site on his way home. Said the car was almost under the dump truck. So was traveling awfully fast. And wasn't a small car but a medium size sedan. He also heard on the local news that the guy had a heart attack.