He narrowly avoided death. Involved in a serious road accident on Monday during his vacation in Nigeria, the country of his parents, Anthony Joshua almost died. The British boxer lost his two trainers Sina Ghami and Kevin “Latz” Ayodele in the drama, the circumstances of which have been slowly revealed in recent days.
A few hours after the accident, a press release from the Federal Road Safety Corps of Nigeria (FRSC) already indicated that everything suggested, according to initial investigations, that the 4×4 in which Anthony Joshua and his friends were traveling “was driving beyond the legally prescribed speed limit” and “lost control during an overtaking maneuver” before hitting a truck parked on the side of the road.
“We believed in a new attack”
The police commissioner of Ogun state, where the tragedy occurred, added that the car left the road after a tire burst. “The sound of the impact shook everyone,” a street vendor present on site told the Nigerian media Vanguard. At first, we thought it was another bomb attack. When we realized it was an accident, people rushed in and some opened the doors to see if they could save anyone. »
In photos and videos circulating on social networks, the former world heavyweight boxing champion appears shirtless, sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, surrounded by broken glass. According to the English press, the athlete, in shock, remained unconscious for around ten minutes before coming to his senses. Still hospitalized, he only suffered “minor injuries” according to the police.
The accident occurred around 11 a.m. on Monday (local time), on a highway towards Ibadan, Nigeria’s third city, in the southwest of the country. “Joshua and the injured victim were evacuated by ambulance to a hospital located in the Lagos region, while the remains of the deceased were deposited at the morgue,” detailed a deputy commissioner.
On December 20, Joshua, 36, beat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul by knockout, in a fight staged by Netflix with excessive resources, for a purse estimated at $184 million. “Life is much more important than boxing. I pray for the victims, AJ, and all those affected by today’s tragic accident,” reacted on X Jake Paul.
