A self-driving bus hit a visually impaired athlete in the Paralympic village in Tokyo.
According to media reports, the 30-year-old will need two weeks to recover from his injuries.
The Tokyo 2020 and Toyota, which developed the autonomous shuttle buses used in the compound, didn’t identify the person, but media reports named the pedestrian as Japanese judoka Aramitsu Kitazono.
Two bus operators said they noticed the athlete, but thought he would stop walking as the bus was approaching.
According to organizers and Toyota, they have suspended the operation of the vehicles after the accident.
The company said that one of its electric buses “made contact with a pedestrian who is visually impaired” on a pedestrian crossing and “We deeply apologize for those who suffered injuries. We are fully cooperating with the police on the case.”
The victim hit in the accident later underwent “a full examination” and “no external injury was identified” while the shuttle bus service will be resumed as soon as it was “safe to do so,” the company however said.
The accident took place on Thursday afternoon. Some media reports said that the five passengers were aboard but none was injured and the pedestrian was not holding a cane and there was a traffic-control guard at the crossing.
Thousands of athletes and team officials are staying in the Paralympic Village for games that began on Tuesday and the self-driving buses were also used in the village during the Olympics. (AW)
