The man behind the wheel during the fatal car crash that hospitalized English heavyweight boxing star Anthony Joshua and killed two of his trainers has been discharged from the hospital but could now face criminal charges for his role in the collision.
Sina Ghami and Kevin “Latif” Ayodele, both teammates and close friends of Joshua’s, died as a result of the crash, Matchroom Boxing confirmed in a statement.
The driver was hired for the team’s trip to Nigeria, the homeland of Joshua’s parents, and could face prosecution for reckless driving as a result of Monday’s accident, according to The Guardian Nigeria.
The Federal Road Safety Corps of Nigeria said that the driver was speeding and lost control “during an overtaking maneuver” on the congested Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which is considered a “serious traffic violation” by the organization.
Ogun State Police Commissioner Lanre Ogunlowo told ESPN that a burst tire caused Joshua’s vehicle to spin out of control, a detail that wasn’t mentioned in the Federal Road Safety Corps’ statement.
Joshua, 36, was seated behind the driver and sustained minor injuries, while Ghami and Ayodele — sitting in the passenger seat and behind the passenger seat, respectively — died after the right side of the vehicle was decimated upon impact.
The devastating crash came just 10 days after the former two-time heavyweight champion knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxing-sensation Jake Paul in the sixth round of their highly anticipated boxing match in Miami.
Joshua collected roughly $92 million from the Netflix-streamed bout.
Shortly after news of the crash broke, Paul sent his condolences to Joshua and his team on social media.
“Life is much more important than boxing,” Paul posted to X. “I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”
Joshua has yet to comment on the tragic incident.
