Deaf woman hit by local train to death in Hiroshima

Reiko Iwakawa (36), a welfare facilities worker, had been crossing the railroad gate by bicycle in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture in the evening on April 19, 2009. The gate was neither equipped with an alarm nor the crossing barrier.

She was not aware the three-car local train for Fukuyama from Fuchu with 70 passengers approaching and was hit to death around 6:35 pm.

According to the investigation by the Hiroshima Prefectural Police, Iwakawa had a trouble in hearing though the train whistled for warning a few times and was put on the breaks.

This accident affected about 900 people and also five trains in total were suspended according to the Japanese Railroad West Okayama branch office.



Source in Japanese:
http://mainichi.jp/select/jiken/news/20090420k0000e040050000c.html