踏切での車いすの事故なぜ起きる　利用者が感じる「恐怖」　生徒がはねられ大ケガ　福岡

In June, a 16-year-old girl in a wheelchair was struck by a train at a JR railway crossing in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, sustaining serious injuries. Accidents involving wheelchair users at railway crossings are occurring frequently nationwide. We spoke to wheelchair users. Read the article for this video https://news.ntv.co.jp/n/fbs/category... On the night of June 28th, a 16-year-old girl in a wheelchair was struck by a train at a railway crossing near JR Takeshita Station in Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City. The girl suffered serious injuries, including a broken right elbow. Why did this accident happen at a railway crossing equipped with warning signals and barriers? ■Announcer Natsuki Yagi "This is the level crossing where the female student was hit by the train. According to the police, approximately 7 seconds after entering the level crossing, the girl's wheelchair tilted forward, and she fell out of the wheelchair." After falling out of the wheelchair, the girl spent about a minute getting back into it on her own and tried to cross the level crossing, but was ultimately hit by the train. According to police investigations, the train driver stated, "I noticed the wheelchair, sounded the whistle, and applied the emergency brakes, but I couldn't stop completely." Police believe there is a possibility that the wheelchair's wheels became stuck in the groove between the rails and the road. ■Announcer Yagi "There is an obstacle detection device installed on the tracks near the level crossing." According to JR Kyushu, the site has a device that alerts the driver to an emergency stop if it detects a stationary obstacle within the level crossing. In this case, the device did not activate because the female student did not remain stationary for a sufficient amount of time. Last March, in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, a woman in a wheelchair was struck and killed by a train at a level crossing. It is believed that the front wheels of her wheelchair became stuck in the groove between the rails and the road, preventing her from freeing herself. According to the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), there have been 16 accidents involving electric wheelchairs at level crossings nationwide in the approximately 10 years since 2008, resulting in a total of 11 deaths. Reported causes of the accidents include cases where "the front wheels became stuck in the groove between the rails and the road, making it impossible to steer" and "it appears that the wheels came off while attempting to cross the level crossing." Ms. Nakahara, who has been using a wheelchair for over 20 years, says that level crossings where the road and railway tracks intersect diagonally are particularly dangerous. ■Yoshitaka Nakahara (85) "The scariest thing about level crossings is that the road intersects the tracks diagonally, so if you go through there, you inevitably cross the tracks diagonally." The level crossing where this accident occurred also had a road intersecting the tracks diagonally. Furthermore, Mr. Nakahara also focuses on the structure of wheelchair wheels. ■Mr. Nakahara "Due to the structure of wheelchairs, the casters move freely." Q. Is it easier to get stuck because they move freely? "That's right. When they get stuck in a ditch, we don't know what to do. Getting out of the wheelchair and lifting it out of the stuck position makes it very difficult to get back in." Following a series of wheelchair accidents at level crossings, the government has requested railway companies to take measures to prevent derailment, and these measures are being implemented. JR Kyushu advises that if you see someone in distress at a level crossing, and a train is approaching, you should not enter the crossing but instead press the emergency button located near the crossing without hesitation. *FBS Fukuoka Broadcasting's Mentai Wide, aired July 7, 2026, shortly after 5 PM. For the latest news, please visit https://news.ntv.co.jp/n/fbs. Also available on X FBS Fukuoka Broadcasting News (@FBS_NEWS5). https://x.com/FBS_NEWS5