[He fought injuries sustained after a car crash 4 days ago, but finally, his poor body gave in. He was my age, 29. And BTW...I didn't know that Ecuador striker Tenorio had also been killed in a car crash, earlier this month! RIP both...]
SAN JOSE, May 18 (Reuters) - Costa Rica striker Whayne Wilson died on Wednesday, four days after being involved in a car crash, hospital sources said.
Wilson, 29, had broken into the national side in the last year and started the last two World Cup qualifiers against Panama and Trinidad.
Media reports said his car collided with a lorry on the highway linking San Jose with the Caribbean coast.
Wilson turned down recent offers to join a Chinese club because his dream was to play in the World Cup and he feared the move would harm his chances of keeping his place in the team.
The striker scored all four of his international goals this year, three in the CONCACAF Gold Cup qualifying tournament in Guatemala in February plus a penalty in the 2-1 win over Panama.
Wilson, who played for local club Brujas, was included in last year's squad for the Olympic Games as an over-age player, making three late substitute appearances and starting one game, and at the Copa America, where he made one appearance.
Wilson, whose funeral will be held in the Caribbean town of Limon, spent his entire career in Costa Rica, also playing for Cartagines, Herediano, Limonese, Ramonense and Santos.
Earlier this month, Ecuador striker Otilino Tenorio was also killed in a car crash, just four days after playing in a friendly against Paraguay in New York. He was 25.
