Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma is reportedly being investigated by police in Japan after a woman was hospitalized following a collision with his vehicle in Tokyo.
The incident occurred on Wednesday morning when Mitoma's car reportedly struck a woman, who is in her forties, as she cycled. The woman sustained minor injuries. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the incident, according to NHK.
Reports suggest Mitoma entered an intersection after running a red light, mistakenly driving when a pedestrian green light was illuminated. Mitoma reportedly checked on the injured woman's condition and cooperated with responding police officers.
Mitoma's management company issued a statement apologizing for the incident. "We sincerely apologize for the great inconvenience and worry caused to the injured party and all those involved in the accident," the statement read. "Mr. Mitoma himself takes this accident very seriously and is responding with feelings of sympathy and apology to the injured party."
The statement confirmed the injured party was diagnosed with bruises and that Mitoma was not harmed. The management company pledged to cooperate fully with the authorities and to reinforce safe driving awareness and compliance education to prevent future occurrences. "Once again, we offer our deepest apologies to the victim, their family, and all those involved."
Mitoma joined Brighton in 2021 and has since made 135 appearances for the club, scoring 27 goals. He has also earned 31 caps for the Japanese national team. He missed the recent World Cup due to an injury.