The Kumamoto Summary Court has fined a city assembly member ¥200,000 over a traffic accident he did not report to police, court officials said. The order against Tatsuya Tagami, 73, was dated October 22.
Tagami was convicted under the Automobile Driving Punishment Act of negligent driving resulting in injury, among other charges, according to the order and other documents. He paid the fine, he said.
The accident happened in April in Kumamoto's Higashi Ward, at an intersection with a stop sign. Tagami turned left without stopping and hit the bicycle of a high school girl coming from the right, causing grazes and other injuries that took about two weeks to heal. He did not report the accident to police.
Tagami said he did not think the girl was hurt, gave her his business card and left the scene. Her father called police.
A summary order lets prosecutors seek a fine without a trial. The court issued the order and Tagami paid it, closing the case without a hearing.