Police to charge 2 workers over July 22 shinkansen maintenance train collision

[gmat]

Fairly brief article in Japan Today:

 

http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/police-to-charge-2-workers-over-shinkansen-maintenance-train-collision

 

Grant

[westfalen]

The story's pretty scarce on details but it's hard to avoid a collision if you find out the other train is there when you're only 136 metres from it.

[bill937ca]

From what I have read charges are automatic when there is an injury or death in Japan.  Doesn't matter if it is a car, a train, a ski lift or an electrically operated steel storefront shutter.  The charge generally is professional negligence which carries five years in prison, unless it is flagrant when the penalty is tripled. The US military advises troops station in Japan that all drivers are classified as professional drivers.