Riding a motorcycle involves plenty of risk without people intentionally adding to them, so it is heartening to see a case like this solved so quickly. Late at night, the morning after Christmas, a 45 year old motorcyclist got a rope around his neck causing him to dump his bike, injuring his back and hip. Luckily the man who strung the rope across the road was caught on security camera footage, and Japanese police were able to quickly track him down and charge him with attempted murder.
SO, WHAT'S NEXT?
Japan Today reports that Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture police have arrested Koichi Deki, a 41 year old man, who claims the rope strung across the road was nothing more than a stress relieving prank. There is no indication whether Deki knew a motorcyclist was coming down the road when he tied a rope to a sign and a pole on the other side of the street. Anyone who has ridden a bike can imagine how deadly a rope across a darkened street would be if you rode into it at even moderate speed.
Police were able to identify the responsible party thanks to the surveillance footage, and the help of local residents. After confronting Koichi Deki with the footage, he confessed to having taken the rope and sign from a local business' parking lot and placing it across the road. He is quoted as saying he didn't think it could kill anyone, and he did it as a prank to relieve his stress.
The motorcyclist hit the rope roughly 15 seconds after the rope was placed across the road, according to the time code on the surveillance footage. People cause intentional harm to motorcyclists all the time, usually in road rage incidents, but rarely is it as obvious and clear cut as this case. Koichi Deki will likely be facing a prison sentence of several years.
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