Brake Failure Caused Fatal Crash Involving Anthony Joshua, Says Driver's Son

Nigerianeye | 03-01-2026 11:12pm |

The son of Anthony Joshua's driver has defended his father against reckless driving allegations in the December 29 crash that killed two of the boxing champion's close associates, blaming the incident on brake failure and an illegally parked truck.Ifeoluwa Adeniyi, 19, son of driver Adeniyi Kayode, told reporters that his father was adhering to speed limits when the Lexus SUV's brakes suddenly failed on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State."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," Ifeoluwa said. He added that his father attempted to swerve but collided with a stationary truck parked by the roadside.The crash claimed the lives of Joshua's personal trainer, Kevin Latif Ayodele, and strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami. The group had been picked up from the airport and was en route to visit Joshua's family in Sagamu, just minutes from their destination.Ifeoluwa revealed that Joshua initially sat in the front passenger seat after departing Lagos but swapped to the back at the driver's request because the boxer's size was obstructing the wing mirror view. Latif then reportedly took the front seat."He's been driving for Anthony for three years; he's a good driver," Ifeoluwa stressed. "It's not his fault if the truck wasn’t parked there illegally, this wouldn’t have happened."Olalekan Abiodun, the driver's lawyer, echoed the brake failure account and confirmed the seat swap details. He described the incident as a tragic accident, noting that Adeniyi has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges brought by the Ogun State Police Command."My client says the brakes didn’t work," Abiodun said, adding that the illegal parking of the truck contributed to the severity of the crash.Adeniyi was briefly remanded at the Sagamu Correctional Centre while processing bail. Joshua, who escaped injury, is yet to issue a public statement on the tragedy.Police investigations into the accident are ongoing.

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