British-Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua, is expected to spend New Year’s Eve at Duchess International Hospital in Lagos, as he continues to recover from a fatal car crash that killed two of his close friends.
The two-time heavyweight world champion was a passenger in a black Lexus when it ploughed into a stationary truck on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Makun.
The death of two of his long-term friends, Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele, were confirmed on Monday, while two other passengers miraculously escaped with their lives.
According to the Daily Mail, Joshua was rushed to Duchess International Hospital in Lagos, widely regarded as Nigeria’s leading private medical facility. The hospital offers an elite VIP service.
Joshua is reportedly in a stable condition and sustained only minor injuries, although sources suggest he will remain under observation for at least a few more days as a precaution.
Meanwhile, Lagos State Police Commissioner, Lanre Ogunlowo, confirmed to the BBC that a formal investigation into the accident has been ordered.
“I can confirm to you that an accident occurred and the victim has been taken to the hospital,” Ogunlowo said.
Police investigators confirmed the car crash was caused by a tyre blowout after Joshua’s Lexus ‘lost control’.
Police believe the car was travelling over the 50mph speed limit and lost control during ‘an overtaking manoeuvre.’
Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Police Commander of Nigeria’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (Trace), reported that the vehicle had ‘experienced a tyre burst because of excessive speed’.
