Witnesses to a car accident in Nigeria involving heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua on Monday recounted a harrowing scene, noting that two passengers tragically lost their lives “on the spot.”
Joshua, who is 36, was taken to the hospital following an incident where a tire burst while he was in the backseat, leading the driver to lose control and crash into a parked truck.
“It was a convoy of two vehicles, a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. Joshua was seated behind the driver, and there was another person beside him. The passenger next to the driver was also in the vehicle, and there were four individuals in the Lexus that was involved in the crash,” said eyewitness Adeniyi Oloho.
“Myself and other witnesses began rescue operations and signaled for assistance to approaching cars. The Federal Road Safety Corps arrived a few minutes after the crash. Unfortunately, the passenger beside the driver and the individual next to Joshua both died at the scene.”
Oroho mentioned that Joshua’s security team was in a vehicle situated behind the one that met with the accident.
Ogun State Police representative Babasey Oluseiyi confirmed to news outlets that Joshua, whose heritage includes British-Nigerian roots, sustained injuries and was hospitalized.
Images and videos circulating from the site depict Joshua appearing distressed and in pain after the collision.
The Nigerian Federal Road Safety Corps issued a statement suggesting that the Lexus was likely speeding before the accident occurred.
Recently, on December 19, Joshua (29-4) faced off against Jake Paul in Miami, where he secured a knockout victory in the sixth round, inflicting multiple fractures to Paul’s jaw.
Joshua, a two-time unified heavyweight champion, had been undefeated at 22-0 until his loss to Andy Ruiz Jr. on June 1, 2019, at Madison Square Garden. He later reclaimed his title with a victory over Ruiz Jr. in Riyadh six months after that defeat.
Additionally, Joshua has lost two matches against Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022, as well as a fight against Daniel Dubois in his most recent bout prior to facing Paul.
