Anthony Joshua's driver charged and named as police issue statement after horror crash

The driver of the Lexus which was carrying Anthony Joshua when it crashed on Monday has been charged with reckless and dangerous driving. Two of Joshua's close friends, Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele, were killed in the crash on a major expressway near Lagos, Nigeria. The boxer himself was injured and spent time in hospital before being discharged on Wednesday.

The car carrying Joshua and his two friends crashed into a stationary truck, which was parked on the hard shoulder. Now, the driver of the Lexus has been charged by Nigerian police. Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, has been accused of reckless and dangerous driving for his part in the collision.

Police spokesman Oluseyi Babaseyi told AFP: "The defendant was granted bail in the sum of five million naira (£2,579) with two sureties. He was remanded pending when he meets his bail condition."

Earlier reports claimed Kayode was released from a Lagos hospital late on New Year's Eve and transported to Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun state, where the fatal crash occurred.

He was reportedly interrogated for several hours and provided an official account of the events leading up to the accident.

A police spokesperson was quoted as saying: "The driver was released after treatment for minor injuries and was then taken to the state police headquarters for questioning.

"He is in a stable condition and was able to provide us with his version of events that led up to the crash and we expect a charging decision within the next 48 hours, but the bank holiday may delay proceedings.

"It's possible that the driver could be in court on Friday for reckless driving, but it hinges on how swiftly the process moves."

Babatunde Akinbiyi, a spokesperson for Ogun State's Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, suggested the Lexus was overspeeding in the moments before the fatal collision.

He said: "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.

"That led to loss of control before the vehicle now swerved and rammed into the stationary lorry that was parked. There was excessive speed."

Meanwhile, the driver of the lorry involved in the crash has been declared wanted by police after they fled the scene of the accident.