Russian Cosmonaut Runs Over Colleague on Earth Weeks After Returning From Space

Oleg Artemyev — who recently spent 195 days in space — was reportedly driving on a dark road outside Moscow when he hit a pedestrian who works at a space program training center

In this image distributed by Roscosmos State Space Corporation, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev sits in the chair shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz MS-21 space capsule southeast of the Kazakh town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, . Three Russian cosmonauts returned safely from a mission to the International Space Station. The Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft carrying Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov touched down softly at 4:57 p.m. (1057 GMT) Thursday at a designated site in the steppes of Kazakstan about 150 kilometers (about 90 miles) southeast of the city of Zhezkazgan Russia Space Station, Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan - 29 Sep 2022
Photo: Pavel Kassin/AP/Shutterstock

Russian Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev ran over a colleague on Monday night while driving outside of Moscow, Russian space agency Roscosmos said.

According to the Associated Press, Artemyev, who recently spent 195 days in space, accidentally hit a pedestrian while traveling down a dimly lit area. The accident happened less than three weeks after Artemyev returned to Earth, the outlet added, citing a translated statement from Roscosmos.

Artemyev provided first aid to the victim, Anatoly Uronov, who was later transferred to a hospital to treat several fractures. The 63-year-old was crossing the road when the incident occurred.

Journalist Anatoly Zak described Uronov as a "project manager" of Star City, a cosmonaut training center.

In their statement, Roscosmos said Artemyev was not under the influence of alcohol and quickly called emergency services after the accident.

Research has shown that people who spend time in space need time away from driving because their ability to operate a vehicle is reduced, Space.com noted.

In 2013, flight surgeon Raffi Kuyumjian said that someone who has been to space for an extended period of time would need about three weeks off from driving. At the time of Artemyev's accident, 19 days had passed from his return to Earth, though there's no indication whether his recent time in space was a factor in the incident.

RELATED VIDEO: Dad's Ham Radio Hobby Leads to Daughter Calling Astronaut in Space — Hear Their Adorable Chat!

Per Space.com, Artemyev has spent a total of 560 days in space over three missions in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

He previously worked for the Soviet Army and spacecraft manufacturer RSC Energia.

Related Articles