Anthony Joshua was involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria on Monday which took the life of two people less than two weeks after his win over Jake Paul in Miami
Anthony Joshua’s uncle has disclosed that he has been frantically contacting hospitals in an effort to locate his nephew, whilst detailing the distress experienced by the family following news of the heavyweight boxer’s car crash in Nigeria on Monday.
The collision claimed the lives of two individuals close to Joshua after a tyre burst triggered the incident. Joshua’s condition has been confirmed as stable at a Lagos hospital. Reports claim that AJ is being treated at the Duchess International Hospital, one of the best private hospitals in the country, and will remain there until the New Year.
Joshua’s personal trainer Latif “Latz” Ayodele and sport and exercise rehabilitation coach Sina Ghami were both killed in the accident.
Local police commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo told the BBC that an inquiry into the crash has been launched. He stated: “I can confirm to you that an accident occurred and the victim has been taken to the hospital.”
Joshua suffered minor injuries whilst travelling as a passenger. The vehicle transporting Joshua, a Lexus SUV, is believed to have struck a stationary lorry near a petrol station along the congested Lagos-Ibadan highway.
Following the incident, Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola Joshua, has spoken candidly about the strain endured by the family. Addressing journalists in Ijokun, he revealed how the family were bombarded with scary phone calls about the incident when they were none the wiser.
“We did not know on time that he was involved in an accident, it was really a rude shock to the family because this is not the first time he would be coming to see his family in Sagamu,” he said, reports the Mirror.
“Anthony Joshua can even come home up to three, four times in a year. We felt so bad because this is the end of the year period which is usually use to rejoice and bond with one another, it is really quite unfortunate.
“The sad news actually jolted Sagamu community and up till now everyone is still in shock. People have kept calling the family members to sympathise with us and get updates”.
“Since the incident happened, we have been rallying round to see if it is possible to get to see our son but that has been impossible because of his status, we don’t know the hospital he was taking to and we can understand that such is being done to protect him being a world figure.
“However, we have been in touch with his father and mother who are also in Nigeria and they have assured us that Joshua is fine. We are also thinking that it will be fine if they allow even if it just three of the family members to see him, we are all eager to see him but we will still respect the wish of the authority to keep him safe for now”.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, issued a statement on Monday confirming the boxer was “OK” via social media. “I am away on a family holiday and awoke to the news of this incident,” he said.
“We are trying to contact Anthony and in the meantime we don’t want to speculate on how he is but thankfully he appears OK from what I have seen in the images. We are awaiting more information on what has happened and will update in due course.”
A witness at the scene relayed the incident to local press, stating: “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.”
