Eyewitness accounts of Anthony Joshua crash confirms two dead were travelling in boxer's car
The British boxer reportedly was rushed to a hospital in Nigeria following the car crash.
Eyewitness accounts of Anthony Joshua crash confirms two dead were travelling in boxer's car
Two individuals in the SUV carrying Anthony Joshua were killed instantly, as per eyewitness accounts. The British boxer reportedly was rushed to a hospital in Nigeria following the car crash.
His security team were said to be trailing Joshua's vehicle, and members of the public swiftly responded to the collision in an attempt to rescue those involved. The SUV reportedly collided with a stationary lorry near Makun on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, located in Ogun State.
Reports suggest that the vehicle Joshua was riding in swerved and lost control due to a tyre blowout. Local police are currently investigating the crash, with the Ogun state traffic compliance and enforcement agency confirming Joshua's involvement in the accident.
An eyewitness, Adeniyi Orojo, recounted the incident to Punch newspaper: "It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him.
"There was also a passenger sitting beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them before the crash.
"Other eyewitnesses and I began the rescue and flagged down oncoming vehicles to assist. A few minutes after the crash, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived. The passenger beside the driver and the person beside Joshua died on the spot."
Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said: "Two died, while Joshua and one other have been hospitalised and are receiving treatment at a hospital that would not be disclosed."
Lanre Ogunlowo, a local police commissioner, told the BBC an investigation has already been ordered into the accident. He said: "I can confirm to you that an accident occurred and the victim has been taken to the hospital.
They are also going to the as-yet-unnamed hospital, according to the divisional police officer Ode Fredrick. The police are doing that to confirm the number of casualties.
Mirror Sport spoke with Eddie Hearn, Joshua's promoter, who is currently holidaying in the Caribbean and was informed about the accident. Hearn confirmed that Joshua was OK and en route to the hospital, but could not provide any additional details.
Joshua was spending time in his parents' native Nigeria. Although 'AJ' was born in England and clinched an Olympic gold medal for the United Kingdom, he is frequently seen proudly donning the Nigerian flag.
He spent six months at Mayflower School in Ikenne at the age of 11 and credits his time there will helping him to become a boxer. Joshua also has the African continent tattooed on his shoulder, with an outline of Nigeria included in the design.