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British heavyweight and Olympic gold medalist Anthony Joshua was in a speeding Lexus and survived a crash Monday morning in Nigeria that killed two others, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 11 a.m. on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, in Makun, Ogun State, in the far southwest corner of Nigeria, police said.
Ogun State Police Command said Joshua was a passenger in a Lexus SUV, while the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) called the 36-year-old boxer’s car a Lexus Jeep.
That Lexus was involved in the crash “under circumstances that are currently being investigated,” according to an Ogun State Police Command statement.
The Lexus slammed into a stationary truck, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the Lexus Jeep, which was suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit on the corridor, lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre and crashed into a stationary truck well packed by the side of the road,” according to an FRSC statement.
Joshua escaped with minor injuries, police said.
He was seated in the rear of the vehicle, sustained minor injuries and is receiving medical attention, according to the police statement. “Tragically, two other passengers in the vehicle lost their lives at the scene. ”
The two victims were “close associates” of the Nigerian-British fighter and identified as Kevin Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, according to a statement by Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ayodele and Ghami were called “close friends and team members” by Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn.
“I have spoken with AJ to personally convey my condolences,”the president said in a statement. “I wished him a full and speedy recovery and prayed with him.”
Joshua burst on to the world stage at the 2012 London Olympics when he won superheavyweight gold for Britain.
But American audiences might know him best for his decisive Dec. 20 win over social media star-turned-boxer Jake Paul, in a Netflix bout watched by about 33 million people.
Joshua (29-4) had won 24 of his first 25 pro fights after retaining the IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles with a ninth-round knockout of Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev on Dec. 12, 2020, in London.
He then suffered consecutive losses to Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk — first on Sept. 25, 2021, in North London and then again on Aug. 20, 2022, in Saudi Arabia.
Before the Paul bout, Joshua had another title shot on Sept. 21 last year in London, but defending IBF champ and fellow Brit Daniel Dubois dominated with a fifth-round knockout.
Senior Breaking News Reporter
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