The son of Anthony Joshua’s driver has dismissed allegations of reckless driving, insisting that brake failure led to the fatal accident involving the boxing star and his team.
Gatekeepers News reports that the crash occurred on December 29 along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, when a Lexus SUV carrying Joshua and members of his entourage collided with a stationary truck.
Two of the boxer’s close associates, Kevin Latif Ayodele, his personal trainer, and Sina Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, lost their lives in the incident.
Following the accident, the driver, Adeniyi Kayode, was arrested and later charged with manslaughter by the Ogun State Police Command. He was subsequently remanded at the Sagamu Correctional Centre while processing bail.
Speaking on the incident, Ifeoluwa Adeniyi, the driver’s 19-year-old son, maintained that his father was driving within the speed limit and that the crash happened after the vehicle’s brakes suddenly failed.
He said, “Dad is not a fast driver; he was following the speed limit when the brakes failed. He said he was pushing the pedal, but nothing was happening.”
According to him, his father attempted to avoid the truck but could not stop the vehicle in time. He added that the truck was allegedly parked illegally by the roadside.
He said, “He tries to swerve and avoid the truck parked by the side of the road but hit it. He’s been driving for Anthony for three years, he’s a good driver.”
Ifeoluwa also disclosed that Joshua was initially seated in the front passenger seat when the journey began in Lagos but later moved to the back.
He said, “I know that when the journey started in Lagos, Anthony was sitting in the front by the driver but my dad asked him to sit behind because he was blocking his view.”
“He was taking Anthony to see his family in Sagamu and had picked them up from the airport and they were only a few minutes from arriving.”
“It’s not his fault, if the truck wasn’t parked there illegally this wouldn’t have happened.”
The driver’s lawyer, Olalekan Abiodun, described the incident as an unfortunate accident and confirmed that his client has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
He said, “My client has pleaded not guilty, and what happened was an accident. I haven’t had a chance to speak with him yet, but I know he says the brakes didn’t work.”
Abiodun also confirmed that Joshua initially sat in the front seat before being asked to move.
He said, “I also understand that the journey started in Lagos and that initially Anthony had got into the front seat, but the driver asked him to swap seats.”
“He did this because Anthony is a big fellow, and so the driver couldn’t see the wing mirror properly, which was why he asked him to move to the seat behind the driver’s seat.”
“From what I understand, Latif changed seats with Anthony. I know that when the journey started in Lagos, Anthony was sitting in the front.”
“He was taking Anthony to see his family in Sagamu and had picked them up from the airport. They were only a few minutes from arriving.”
The lawyer added that the accident might have been avoided if the truck had not been improperly parked on the roadside, noting that investigations into the crash are still ongoing.
