Brighton player Kaoru Mitoma accidentally hit and injured a female cyclist with his car..

Japanese media outlet Kyodo News reported on Wednesday that the country's international winger, Kaoru Mitoma, who is currently playing for Brighton, has accidentally hit and injured a female cyclist with his car.

According to the report, the accident occurred at approximately 8:45 AM on July 8th. Mitoma was driving through Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, when he ran a red light and collided with a bicycle traveling from the right.

The 48-year-old female cyclist was immediately taken to the hospital, where it was later confirmed that she would require two weeks to recover. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is currently investigating the accident.

Later, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department investigators told reporters that Mitoma appeared to have been distracted by the pedestrian traffic light turning green and failed to notice that the traffic light for vehicles was still red.

Following the report's release, Mitoma's agent also released an official statement confirming the incident. The statement read: "On behalf of Mitoma, I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and concern caused to the victim and all those involved by this accident."

"Kaoru Mitoma himself takes this incident very seriously and sincerely expresses his condolences and apologies to the victims."

"We take this matter very seriously and will fully cooperate with the relevant departments in their investigation. We will do our utmost to strengthen safety awareness and education to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Any updates will be released promptly."

About Kaoru Mitoma

The 29-year-old Mitoma was born on May 20, 1997, in Miyamae Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. He is 1.78 meters tall and plays as a left winger.

During his university years, Mitoma studied physical education and won a championship in Naples.

After graduating from university, Mitoma joined Kawasaki Frontale in July 2018 and completed his first-team debut by coming on as a substitute in February 2020.

During his three-year spell with Kawasaki Frontale, Mitoma won one J1 League title, one Emperor's Cup, and one Japanese Super Cup.

In August 2021, Mitoma joined Brighton for £4 million but was immediately loaned-out to their sister club, Union Saint-Gilloise.

Upon returning the following summer, Mitoma immediately impressed, becoming a regular starter for Brighton's first team and even one of the best players in the Premier League.

Since joining the Seagulls, Mitoma has so far made 135 appearances for the Premier League powerhouse in all competitions, scoring 27 goals and providing 21 assists.

Image source: Internet / Kyodo News website