Former world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua escaped serious injury after his car was involved in an accident in Nigeria on Monday morning. Sadly, the crash resulted in two fatalities. The crash happened along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State, when Joshua was travelling as a passenger in a Lexus Jeep.
Joshua incurred only a few superficial lacerations in the accident and was quickly transported to a local trauma center for treatment. Accounts suggest he was seated in the back of the car at the moment of impact.
The crash that took his life was in Joshua’s car, which he crashed into a parked semi truck on the side of the highway. Specifically that five adult males were party to this incident. Tragically, two of them would later die from their injuries, with another person injured as well. The remaining two passengers escaped unharmed.
“A total of five adult males were involved in the crash. Two persons sadly lost their lives, one sustained injuries, while two others escaped unhurt. Anthony Joshua was rescued alive and sustained minor injuries.” – Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps
Preliminary investigations by Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps suggest that the Lexus SUV was driving at a high speed. It then crashed while trying to pass another car. As a result, the vehicle later hit the parked truck.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the Lexus Jeep, which was suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor, lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and crashed into a stationary truck well packed by the side of the road.” – Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps
State and federal authorities are still actively investigating the details of the crash. Ogun state police command confirmed the incident urging that they were trying to ascertain all facts surrounding the incident.
“The vehicle conveying Mr Joshua, a Lexus SUC, was involved in the accident under circumstances that are currently being investigated. Joshua, seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical attention with another injured person.” – Ogun police command
Joshua has familial ties to Sagamu, a town located about 30 miles north of Lagos, where he spent significant time during his upbringing. The late boxing champion spent time at a boarding school in Ikenne, about 53 miles from the crash site. He immigrated to Britain when he was 12.
Prior to the crash, Joshua shared a video on his Instagram stories showing him playing table tennis, indicating a relaxed day before this unfortunate event. He’s preparing for an interesting event. Next year, he will take on Tyson Fury, another former world heavyweight champion, in a most compelling matchup.
“It’s still sketchy for us here. We are trying to establish all the facts from the first responders and that is the most we can say … We will be giving details as we have updates,” – Ogunlowo
To this end, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has identified over-speeding and dangerous overtaking as one of the key traffic offenses. Due to these actions, thousands of fatal crashes occur on Nigerian highways.
“The primary causes of the crash being excessive speed and wrongful overtaking constitute serious traffic violations and remain among the leading causes of fatal road crashes on Nigerian highways.” – Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps