The triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt has been involved in a car accident in Jamaica but walked away with only scratches. Bolt, along with his brother and a female passenger, was taken to a hospital in Spanish Town, near Kingston, where the Jamaican sprinter was treated before being sent home.

Bolt's manager, Norman Peart, said that the 22-year-old sustained nothing worse than scratches from thorn bushes when he stepped out of the car on the side of the road. "We are very relieved he's OK," Peart said. "Everybody is fine."

He is reported to have had a thorn stick him on the soft part of his left foot, after he stepped out of the car which overturned in a ditch off the highway. The extent of the damage to the car was unclear.

The injury may see Bolt miss an invitational meeting in Kingston on Saturday. He is also due to run a 150m street race in Manchester on May 17. "We will see how he is in the next few days before his coach will decide if he is able to run on Saturday," Bolt's agent said

Police sergeant David Sheriff reported that Bolt lost control of his BMW M3 – a present given to him by his sponsors at Puma after his performances at the Beijing Olympics – after apparently speeding on a rain-slicked highway west of Kingston. The car, Bolt's favourite, is believed to have been left in a ditch.

Bolt, 22, attended a specialist BMW M driver school at the Nürburgring in Germany last year to learn how to handle the high-performance car.

The IAAF world athlete of the year won the 100m and 200m at the Beijing Olympics and was part of the Jamaica team that won the 4x100 relay – all in world record times.

"We are keeping a close watch on Usain and will update the public as necessary," said Peart. "We also want to use the opportunity to thank the public for all the calls of concern and the show of affection for Usain."