Anthony Joshua injured in deadly car crash in Nigeria

Two people died in a collision on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway involving the former heavyweight champion, who suffered minor injuries, as authorities launch an investigation.

Anthony Joshua was injured Monday (Dec. 29) in a deadly car crash in Nigeria that left two people dead, according to local police.

The 36-year-old former heavyweight world champion sustained minor injuries after the vehicle he was traveling in collided with another vehicle on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Police Command said. The crash occurred in Ogun State, and authorities say the cause of the accident is under investigation.

Joshua was seated in the back of a Lexus at the time of the crash, according to a witness who spoke with Nigerian newspaper The Punch. Adeniyi Orojo said there were four occupants in the vehicle and that Joshua’s security detail was traveling in a separate car behind them.

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“The passenger beside the driver and the person beside Joshua died on the spot,” Orojo told the outlet, adding that the Lexus collided with a stationary vehicle.

Local police commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo confirmed that an investigation into the incident has been ordered. “I can confirm to you that an accident occurred and the victim has been taken to the hospital,” he said. Divisional Police Officer Ode Fredrick said officers were heading to the hospital to confirm the casualties involved in the crash.

Joshua could not immediately be reached for comment.

The British boxer had been spending time in Nigeria following his December 19 fight with Jake Paul, which Joshua won by sixth-round knockout.

Hours before the crash, at approximately 3:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (9:30 a.m. local time), Joshua posted a video to Instagram showing him playing table tennis with another man, though it is not known where or when the video was recorded.

Photos and videos posted online after the crash show Joshua sitting shirtless in the back of a damaged vehicle surrounded by what appears to be broken glass. In other social media footage from the scene, the boxer can be seen grimacing as he attempts to exit the wreckage.

As authorities continue to investigate what led to the collision, police say two people lost their lives in the crash, marking a tragic turn in an incident involving one of boxing’s most recognizable figures.