The driver of the truck which Anthony Joshua's SUV ploughed into on Nigeria's deadliest road has vanished, sparking a police manhunt
Nigerian police confirmed that the man, who is in his 30s, but is not being named, is wanted in connection with the fatal crash which killed two of the champion boxer's best friends.
They also confirmed that the truck had been parked on the hard shoulder of the road north of the capital Lagos illegally.Harrowing new details have emerged from Anthony Joshua's deadly Nigeria car crash, with police launching a nationwide manhunt for the truck driver at the crash's center after he fled the scene, leaving behind a trail of questions on one of Africa's most lethal highways. The black Lexus SUV driver, parked illegally on the hard shoulder of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, vanished moments after the collision that mangled Joshua's vehicle and killed two passengers seated beside the boxing champ. As investigators piece together the chaos, the driver's flight has intensified scrutiny on road safety lapses that nearly claimed a global sports icon.
Fugitive trucker sparks manhunt frenzy
Eyewitnesses reported the truck — a hulking cargo hauler with faulty brakes — was stationary in a no-parking zone when Joshua's speeding Lexus plowed into it at over 100kph, shearing off the SUV's front and crumpling the roof. The driver, described as a middle-aged man in a hi-vis vest, allegedly stumbled from the cab bloodied but mobile, grabbed a bag and bolted into nearby bushland before Joshua's security arrived. Ogun State Police have issued his photo and vehicle plates, warning of arrest for fleeing a fatal accident, with CCTV from tolls confirming his unlicensed operation on the notoriously deadly route dubbed "Slaughter Lane" for its 500+ annual deaths.
Rewards are circulating via local radio, as Joshua recovers from minor injuries in a Lagos clinic.
Illegal parking on death-trap highway
The Expressway's hard shoulder ban stems from repeated pile-ups, yet enforcement remains lax amid bribery claims, with the truck found loaded beyond capacity and lacking reflective markers. Joshua's vehicle, rented post his Jake Paul win, burst a tire during an overtake — possibly exacerbated by dodging the obstruction — hurling it into the truck's rear at catastrophic force. Photos of the "mangled" SUV show passenger seats inches from oblivion, underscoring how the driver's negligence turned a routine drive into near-annihilation.
Federal investigators blame chronic issues: potholes, overloading and ghost drivers evading checkpoints.
Joshua's miracle survival under spotlight
The champ, helped from wreckage topless and dazed in viral footage, dodged fatality by his rear-left position, while the two beside him perished instantly from crush injuries. Promoter Eddie Hearn hailed it a "divine intervention," as Joshua posts stoic updates from hospital, crediting faith and quick rescuers. The manhunt coincides with public outrage, with #JusticeForJoshua trending and calls for highway cameras amid Nigeria's festive road toll spiking.
If captured, the driver faces manslaughter charges carrying life, potentially closing a chapter on Joshua's brush with doom — but exposing systemic perils on roads where the vulnerable pay the ultimate price.
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