By Peter Omopo
World heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Joshua, narrowly escaped death on Monday after he was involved in a road accident along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred at about 11:00 a.m. in the Makun area of the expressway, just before Danco Filling Station, inward the Sagamu Interchange on the Ibadan-bound lane.
Eyewitnesses said Joshua was travelling in a Lexus SUV with registration number KRD 850 HN when the vehicle collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are yet to be fully determined. The Lexus was reportedly part of a two-vehicle convoy, accompanied by a Pajero SUV conveying his security detail.
According to an eyewitness account, there were four occupants in the Lexus at the time of the crash, with Joshua seated behind the driver. While the boxing champion reportedly sustained only minor injuries, two other occupants of the vehicle were feared dead at the scene.
“It was a serious crash. Joshua was sitting behind the driver with another passenger beside him, while one person was seated in front. His security team was in the vehicle behind,” the eyewitness said. “Immediately after the accident, we mobilised to rescue the victims and flagged down vehicles for help before officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived.”
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) later arrived at the scene to manage traffic, rescue victims and evacuate those affected by the accident.
Confirming the incident, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Babaseyi Oluseyi, alongside the FRSC spokesperson, Afolabi Odunsi, said investigations had commenced to determine the cause of the crash. They added that further details would be made available in due course.
