The 19-year-old son of Anthony Joshua’s driver, Ifeoluwa Adeniyi, has rejected claims that his father drove recklessly before the fatal accident that claimed the lives of two associates of the heavyweight boxing champion.
Naijaonpoint reports that the accident occurred on December 29 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway when a Lexus SUV conveying Joshua and members of his team rammed into a stationary truck.
Two of Joshua’s close associates – Kevin Latif Ayodele, his personal trainer, and Sina Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach – died in the crash.
The driver, Adeniyi Kayode, was subsequently charged with manslaughter by the Ogun State Police Command and remanded at the Sagamu Correctional Centre to complete his bail documentation.
Speaking on the incident, Ifeoluwa insisted that his father was not over speeding, stating that the crash was caused by brake failure.
“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,” he told Daily Mail.
According to him, his father attempted to swerve to avoid the stationary truck but was unable to prevent the collision.
“He tried 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,” he added.
The driver’s son also disclosed that Joshua initially sat in the front passenger seat but later swapped seats during the journey.
“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,” Ifeoluwa said.
He explained that the trip was to visit Joshua’s family in Sagamu after picking him up from the airport and that the accident occurred only minutes before they arrived.
“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,” he said.
Ifeoluwa further argued that the crash could have been avoided if the truck had not been parked illegally on the roadside.
“It’s not his fault. If the truck wasn’t parked there illegally, this wouldn’t have happened,” he added.
Counsel to the driver, Olalekan Abiodun, described the incident as unfortunate, confirming that Adeniyi Kayode had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
“My client has pleaded not guilty, and what happened was an accident,” Abiodun said.
He added that the driver had maintained that the vehicle’s brakes failed.
“I haven’t had a chance to speak with him yet, but I know he says the brakes didn’t work,” the lawyer stated.
Abiodun corroborated claims that Joshua initially sat in the front seat before being asked to move.
“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 said.
According to him, the decision was taken because Joshua’s size obstructed the driver’s view of the wing mirror.
“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,” Abiodun explained.
He added that Latif later changed seats with Joshua and reiterated that the accident occurred just minutes before they reached Sagamu.
The lawyer also suggested that the presence of the stationary truck on the roadside contributed significantly to the crash.