Anthony Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria that resulted in two deaths on Monday. The two-time heavyweight boxing champion was riding in the back of a Lexus SUV when a collision occurred around 11:00 AM, local time. He suffered minor injuries during the accident, and police say that an investigation is ongoing. On Monday morning, pictures of Joshua in the back of the SUV following the crash began circulating on social media.
"The vehicle conveying Anthony Joshua, a Lexus SUV, was involved in the accident under circumstances that are currently being investigated," a statement from the Ogun State Police Command obtained by ESPN reads. "He was seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical attention. Tragically, two other passengers in the vehicle lost their lives at the scene."
Officials suspect that Joshua's vehicle hit a stationary truck that was parked alongside the road. Ogun State Police Commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo added to ESPN: "The accident happened as a result of a burst tire on AJ's vehicle, which caused the driver to lose control and the vehicle to swerve into the stationary truck parked along the road. For now, I'm aware of two fatalities and Joshua himself has been taken to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention." The identities of the two people who died remain unclear.
Anthony Joshua & Jake Paul Fight
The car crash comes just days after Anthony Joshua defeated YouTuber Jake Paul in a sixth-round knockout in Miami. The result marked Joshua's first win of the year and Paul's second loss overall. “It takes a real man to do that, and he deserves respect for trying and trying and trying. But he came up against a real fighter tonight," Joshua said of Paul during a Netflix interview after the fight, as caught by The New York Post.
One of Joshua's relatives, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC that news of the car crash was a "shock." "We are hoping for his speedy recovery and also the people who passed away - I pray for the departed to rest in peace," they said, adding that he was travelling from Lagos to the family home. "He’s normally coming around for the new year. We haven’t seen him so we were expecting him."
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