Press "Enter" to skip to content

Aichi: Dash cam footage shows drunk man, 34, stealing taxi after dispute with driver

Mitsuro Shimamoto
Mitsuro Shimamoto

AICHI (TR) – Aichi Prefectural Police have released dashboard camera footage showing an intoxicated 34-year-old man stealing a taxi following a dispute with its driver in Kasugai City over the weekend, reports TBS News (Jan. 30).

At just before 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, Mitsuro Shimamoto, of no known occupation, entered the cab in Nagoya and told the male driver, 52, to head to Kasugai. Upon arrival at what the driver interpreted as the destination, the suspect became enraged and exited vehicle without paying.

After the driver and Shimamoto got into an argument outside the cab, the suspect jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off, zipping down a narrow residential road. After a distance of about 1 kilometer, he drove the cab over a curb, which brought it to a halt against a utility pole. He then fled on foot.

Aichi police later apprehended Shimamoto on suspicion of robbery at a convenience store located about 700 meters from where he abandoned the vehicle. During questioning, the suspect denied the allegations, telling police he “does not recall [the incident].”

According to dashboard camera footage provided by police, the source of the argument was the failure on the part of Shimamoto to provide an accurate destination for the driver. “Sir, if you cannot tell me where to go I cannot go there,” the driver can be heard. However, the suspect, who was passed out across the entire back seat at one point during the journey, did not respond.

The footage also shows Shimamoto staggering out of the vehicle before berating the driver. In taking the wheel of the vehicle, the suspect struck the driver, who was not hurt in the incident.

Police are investigating whether to also apply charges of drunk driving to the suspect.