Koji Surrenders License After Crashing 70 Million Yen Ferrari Yet Buys Another Ferrari
I was scolded by Jason Statham
The rumors were true.
After crashing his new 70 million yen Ferrari into a street tree and streetlamp, causing severe damage and leaving it abandoned on the road, Koji (35), who had been sent a document for failing to report the incident, reportedly bought another Ferrari without learning his lesson.
Despite previously posting an apology video and declaring that he would surrender his driver’s license, we were curious as to what had happened. When we visited his training base in Tokyo, sure enough, there was a shiny new Ferrari parked right in front of it.
We confronted Koji, who appeared in front of his car with the keys in hand.
—This is FRIDAY. About that Ferrari.
“You’re back again? Hmm? This one? It’s a Ferrari Roma Spider. I think it was about 50 million yen. I placed the order after the accident. It’s a freshly delivered open-top car.”
—The Ferrari that was in the accident was totaled, right? Could it be that you’re not thinking clearly?
“The dealer was like, ‘What? Seriously?’ ‘This is the world’s first, right?’ (laughs). The Pro Sangué I crashed is totaled, and I damaged both the street tree and the streetlamp. Including towing fees, the total loss from the accident is probably around 100 million yen. I haven’t received the bill yet, but I’m reflecting on it.”
“Apparently, the Pro Sangué was a rare model, with only about 40 units in Japan, and I supposedly totaled it the fastest in the world. I heard Jason Statham, the actor from the ‘Fast & Furious’ movie, was mad about it.”
—You said you would surrender your license to take responsibility for the accident?
“I will. But when I asked the police, they said I can’t surrender it until all the administrative procedures are complete.”
—If you surrender your license, you won’t be able to drive.
“Idiot, I’ll have the staff at the office drive me.”
—So the chauffeur car is a Ferrari… Are you going to sit in the back seat?
“The Roma Spider is a two-seater, so I’ll sit in the passenger seat.”
—That’s really uncool. Why are you so fixated on Ferraris?
“That’s obvious, right? Because it’s the world’s number one sportscar. People say you can’t make a living from martial arts, but driving a Ferrari is a dream. I think it’s important to show kids that. But when I surrender my license, I won’t be able to drive, so I might start collecting Ferraris like a model car collection (laughs).”
A call came to his phone from the Setagaya police officers
What is being questioned is Koji’s actions after the accident. He left the severely damaged Ferrari on the street and departed the scene. Fighter Ren Hiramoto (26) criticized him, saying, “It’s strange to ditch a luxury car after a hit-and-run,” and posted, “If he was driving under the influence (a criminal case), everything would make sense.”
—Ren Hiramoto has suggested the theory of driving under the influence.
“I left the Ferrari in the middle of the road, in the zebra zone, so I was heavily suspected of drinking… I really regret my reckless behavior. But Ren and I are parking buddies. He injects stuff into his body, and I park in the middle of the road. Let’s get along!”
—You’re saying you didn’t flee, but were you really not drinking? Would you have acted that way if you weren’t drinking?
“This is really embarrassing, but it was right after I turned at the intersection. I pressed the accelerator to hear the engine’s sound, but I overdid it and the back of the car swerved. I panicked and steered to avoid hitting oncoming traffic, but ended up crashing into the street tree.
I heard that a ‘Fast & Furious’ actor was angry about it, but the actual speed wasn’t even 30 km/h. It was not wild at all, just a self-inflicted accident. I’m so embarrassed. An F1 driver told me it was a ‘crash caused by a bad driver freaking out.’
The Pro Sangué is fully electronically controlled. The dashboard unlocks with a button press. After the accident, the electrical system got damaged, and the dashboard wouldn’t open. I couldn’t get the documents, so I didn’t know the insurance company’s contact info.
I tried to contact my office staff, but it was 3 AM, so no one answered. I had no choice but to head to the office. While rummaging through the office desk, I got a call from the Setagaya police, both at the office and on my phone.”
—Why did the police call your phone?
“I don’t know (laughs). I immediately turned myself in for a urine test, and they thoroughly checked for alcohol and drugs and by the end of the day, I was back to training. I’m really embarrassed about leaving the scene and making many people uncomfortable. I truly regret it.
Many people told me, ‘You have no intelligence as a human.’ Even so, the people around me who support me never left. They all believed in me.
But I will return my driver’s license. The police told me, ‘You don’t have to go that far,’ but I did violate the reporting duty, and I need to show through my actions that I’m not trying to get away with it.”
—Did you shave your head as a sign of reflection?
“That’s right. I’m going to fight former K-1 champion Sina Karimian (37) next. If I don’t fight, the tickets for the ‘RIZIN Men’s Festival’ (May 4) won’t sell. I said I’d fight anyone, and they paired me with a 2-meter giant (laughs). I shaved my head during the match announcement press conference.
Oh, by the way, speaking of reflection, I got a call from the Setagaya shopping district where I broke a streetlight. They asked if I could volunteer for traffic safety campaigns or events.
They must have known that I secretly donate and volunteer in disaster-stricken areas. They’re coming to support my upcoming match. I’m really grateful. So, I plan to volunteer more in the Setagaya shopping district.”
Once the repairs are done, Koji seems committed to volunteering in the Setagaya district, but first, he should face the atonement match”head-on. Karimian is a former K-1 World GP Cruiserweight champion, and there is a significant size difference. It might be interesting to see him get pummeled like the 70-million-yen Ferrari, but we’ll see.
