According to preliminary investigations, a burst front tire led to the fatal crash. The vehicle was traveling at excessive speed.
A burst tire caused the serious car accident in which former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua (36) was injured and two people were killed in Nigeria on Monday.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the traffic safety authority TRACE, the front tire on the passenger side burst while the vehicle was traveling at excessive speed. The vehicle then lost control and crashed into a parked truck at high speed.
“The preliminary investigation clearly shows that the SUV in which Anthony Joshua was traveling was traveling at excessive speed,” TRACE spokesman Babatunde Akinbiyi told the AFP news agency. The accident occurred on Monday morning on the main road between Lagos and Ibadan in Ogun State.
Joshua was taken to hospital after the accident
Professional boxer Joshua survived the accident and was taken to a hospital in Lagos for examination. Two of his close associates, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, were killed. According to police, they died at the scene of the accident. Social media footage showed the Briton leaving the car with a pained expression on his face. Joshua’s family comes from the city in southwestern Nigeria. He is known to visit them when he is in the country.
Joshua sent Wladimir Klitschko into boxing retirement in a spectacular duel in 2017 and then dominated the heavyweight division for a time, but in recent years the 2012 Olympic champion has suffered numerous setbacks. Most recently, Joshua won a fight of little sporting significance against influencer Jake Paul. The fight earned him a purse of at least $30 million.
