TOKYO - A car driven by star Japanese footballer Kaoru Mitoma ran a red light at an intersection in Tokyo on Wednesday and hit and injured a female cyclist, investigative sources said.
The accident occurred at around 8:45 a.m. in the capital's Itabashi Ward. The 48-year-old cyclist was taken to hospital with injuries that will reportedly take around two weeks to heal, the sources said.
Mitoma's management company said he took the accident very seriously and that he offers his heartfelt apologies to the cyclist.
A native of Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo, Mitoma, 29, joined Kawasaki Frontale in 2020 after graduating university and now plays for Brighton in the English Premier League.
Although a key player for the Japanese national team, he was not selected for the squad for the World Cup held in Canada, Mexico and the United States this year due to a leg injury.
