Former Japan soccer star Oku killed in car crash

Dreadful news. RIP Mr Oku, way too young to go. He sure was one heck of a player.

"Oku was arrested on suspicion of threatening to kill his wife but prosecutors decided not to indict him."

Perhaps if they had, and they likely did not simply because of his celebrity status, he'd still be alive and not have wrapped his car around a pole at 4:00 a.m. RIP, and glad no one else was involved.

No mention of why! Was he drunk? Speeding? Being a hoon? Yeah, he 'was' famous, but why is this news? And, why are the details suppressed?

Yeah, he 'was' famous, but why is this news?

A bit of a daft question that, isn't it...??

Paul Gascoigne comes to mind....

Some sports stars really seem to need help after they retire.

Those utility poles in Japan are really dangerous. I wouldn't be surprised if he hit it while driving sober. But considering he "veered into the opposite lane," drove at 4 in the morning, and this is Japan, I'm going to guess that he wasn't sober and probably started his journey from a bar.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, but my question still is, how and why did it happen?

DisillusionedOCT. 17, 2014 - 10:56PM JST Yeah, yeah, yeah, but my question still is, how and why did it happen?>

I've asked the relevant authorities to have a report on your desk first thing tomorrow.

No mention of why! Was he drunk? Speeding? Being a hoon? Yeah, he 'was' famous, but why is this news? And, why are the details suppressed?

You must be one of those who think crime shows like CSI depict real life and that real-life deaths are resolved in only 60 minutes (minus commercial time, natch). The crash just happened for God's sake! There ARE no details yet other than the driver's name! No one is going to know if he was drunk until the autopsy/blood analysis is completed. As for speeding, you can always assume he was driving too fast for the road conditions if he lost control of the car. Police are going to have to examine all of the evidence at the crash scene before coming up with a probable sequence of events.

Just sit down, take a chill pill, and realize that the world doesn't fit into nice 60 minute blocks of time.

@grjkzz "But considering he "veered into the opposite lane," drove at 4 in the morning, and this is Japan, I'm going to guess that he wasn't sober and probably started his journey from a bar."

According to Japanese media reports, Oku was employed at a restaurant at a resort hotel, working a 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift. He was on his way to work when he had the accident.

Poor guy.

Actually what surprised me most was to learn that even star soccer players apparently don`t make much money in Japan. On TV last night they reported he was on his way to work at a hotel, at what sounded like a mundane low paying job, and the car he was driving was by no means a luxury one.

That sucks! What a way to die. RIP

Yeah, he 'was' famous, but why is this news?

Since the day you were born, a celebrity dies, it becomes news. You never noticed this?

@ senseiman "Actually what surprised me most was to learn that even star soccer players apparently don`t make much money in Japan. On TV last night they reported he was on his way to work at a hotel, at what sounded like a mundane low paying job, and the car he was driving was by no means a luxury one."

I have no idea whether he got good money or not but I don't understand how you reached your conclusion. The fact that he ended his days working an ordinary job and driving an ordinary car might just have meant that is just how he wanted to live, or that he was using his soccer money for charity, or maybe he just squandered whatever fortune he had on fun and bad choices. He is said to have had addiction problems, and I know he had a messy divorce from the mother of his two kids that involved an arrest (but I think not prosecution) for DV, etc.

People don't "give their money to charity" in japan. That is an american notion.