Olympic bus hits, kills cyclist near stadium

LONDON — A double-decker bus carrying journalists at the London Olympics hit and killed a bicyclist Wednesday night, police and organizers said.

The Metropolitan Police said the cyclist, 28, was pronounced dead half an hour after the accident near the boundary of Olympic Park, the complex surrounding Olympic Stadium. Police said a man in his mid-60s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and is currently in custody at an east London police station.

The accident happened near facilities for Paralympic athletes and the Olympic Velodrome. Bus transportation in and out of the park was halted for more than two hours. Police said no one aboard the bus was reported injured.

"The police are investigating the accident, and our thoughts are with the cyclist's family," the London Olympic organizing committee said in a statement.

Journalists covering Olympic events Wednesday night were told that media shuttle buses were suspended for the evening and were given other ways of getting to venues and hotels.

British cyclist Bradley Wiggins, who won gold in the time-trial race earlier Wednesday, said the death on the doorstep of the Olympics underscored the dangers of cycling in urban Britain.

"It's dangerous, and London is a busy city," said Wiggins, who also won the Tour de France last month. "I haven't lived in London for 10 to 15 years now, and it's got a lot busier since I was riding a bike as a kid round here."

"But at the end of the day we've all got to co-exist on the roads," he said. "So there's got to be a bit of give and take."

Associated Press writers Stephen Wilson and Rob Harris at the Olympic Park contributed to this report.