Tragedy for the Minamiuonuma community

Living in Minamiuonuma, the International University of Japan is a place that's woven into the fabric of our community. You see students and professors around town, hear different languages in local shops, and become accustomed to the university being such a unique part of life here.

Unfortunately, today we had the sad and shocking news that an IUJ associate professor was killed in a hit-and-run in Nagaoka.

At around 11pm last night, Professor Jinnai was struck by a vehicle on National Route 352. The driver fled the scene, and police are searching for them. It's hard not to feel shaken by news like this. Nagaoka isn't far away, it's somewhere I frequent regularly, and IUJ is such a big part of our community here.

Tonight, I can't help thinking about the professor's family, colleagues, and students, and I'm hoping that the person responsible is found.