Paralympian Hit by Self-Driving Bus in Athletes Village

From Jiji

August 28 2021

TOKYO – A visually impaired Japanese Paralympic athlete has been hit by a self-driving bus in the athletes village in Tokyo, sustaining injuries that take two weeks to recover. 

The injured judoka, Aramitsu Kitazono, 30, did not appear in his planned match in the Tokyo Paralympic judo elimination round in the men’s 81-kilogram division Saturday.

Around 2 p.m. Thursday (5 a.m. GMT), Kitazono was trying to cross a road at a crosswalk when the bus turned right and hit him, causing bruises on his head and legs, Tokyo police sources said.

The bus had two operators and five passengers aboard at the time of the accident. None of them were injured.

The operators knew Kitazono was there, but they did not press the stop button as they thought he would not cross the road, according to the sources.