Star Metro - Burst tyre and speed contributed to Joshua crash say investigators

The British boxer was in a "stable condition" in hospital after the Monday car accident that killed two close associates, his promoter said on Monday.

Joshua, 36, was admitted at Lagos's Duchess International Hospital, according to the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) in Ogun state where the accident occurred.

The smash happened on Monday morning on a main road linking Lagos and Ibadan in the southwest of the country.

TRACE's spokesman Babatunde Akinbiyi told AFP that "from the preliminary investigation that was conducted, definitely there was overspeeding on the part of the SUV Anthony Joshua was travelling in".

"In the course of that, the front tyre on the passenger side burst," he said. "That led to loss of control before the vehicle now swerved and rammed into the stationary truck that was parked. There was excessive speed...."

Pictures and videos circulating online and also shared by local state authorities showed a shirtless Joshua -- a British national of Nigerian heritage -- grimacing in pain as he was helped step out of the car.

Others showed a mangled wreckage of a black sports utility vehicle.

His promoter Matchroom said the boxer's "close friends and team members" Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele were killed and Joshua himself was taken to hospital "for checks and treatment".

Nigerian police said the two victims died "at the scene".

Joshua's family hails from the southwest Nigerian city and he is known to visit there when he is in the country.

Y.Walker--SMC