Search continues for fugitive Yoichi Hatta 3 years after fatal hit-and-run

Tokyo Reported

07-06-2025

OITA (TR) – As the third anniversary of a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu City approaches, police are still seeking the whereabouts of the 28-year-old suspect. The case is now being treated as murder, reports TV Asahi (June 7).
On June 29, 2022, Yoichi Hatta allegedly drove a vehicle that hit and killed a boy, then a 19-year-old university student, in Beppu City. He then fled the scene.
With the whereabouts of Hatta still unknown, police are continuing to seek assistance from the public in apprehending him.
At the time of the fatal hit-and-run incident, Hatta was an office worker living in the town of Hinode, Oita. In carrying out the crime, Hatta drove his vehicle into two motorcycles stopped at a red light. In addition to killing the university student, the crash injured a 20-year-old man.
'As for the fact that suspect Hatta has not been caught, I honestly did not expect it to take three years,' the injured man says. Yoichi Hatta (X) Murder
In September 2023, the National Police Agency designated Hatta as a wanted man for violating the Road Traffic Act. It was the first time for a violator of the act to be designated as wanted. The reason was the heinous nature of the incident.
The statute of limitations for the Road Traffic Act is seven years. Oita Prefectural Police have now listed Hatta as wanted on suspicion of murder, for which there is no statute of limitations.
The injured man says, 'I have always thought that the statute of limitations for people who commit inhumane crimes is very short, at seven years. I have a strong feeling that we will definitely find him and we will definitely make him pay for his crime.' Yoichi Hatta is wanted for murder (X) 'Proves an intent to kill'
While experts have suggested that they 'took into consideration the feelings of the family of the victim,' police have explained that they did so only because 'evidence has been gathered.'
The family of the victim asked for a quick investigation into case as murder, but the police said that 'from the beginning, we were investigating the case on suspicion of murder, and were gathering evidence that proves an intent to kill.'
To prove that, police said that in addition to conducting multiple driving tests, security camera footage analyses and investigations at the scene, they examined in detail the instruments in Hatta's car, which was left behind.
Police explained that it was 'difficult' to accumulate this evidence and that it took time. However, they have not revealed the specifics of the evidence that 'proves an intent to kill' as it would hinder the investigation.
Hiroki Fukuoka, prefectural police Criminal Affairs Department Chief, commented: 'We would like to make an arrest as soon as possible with the full force of the prefectural police.' But, he added, progress in the investigation is needed to quickly resolve the case.