The Federal Road Safety Corps said on Tuesday that it is awaiting the outcome of a comprehensive technical investigation into the road crash involving Nigerian boxing star Anthony Joshua, which occurred in Ogun State on Monday.
Preliminary assessments by the corps’ crash observatory have, however, identified excessive speed as a major contributing factor.
The accident occurred around 12 noon near the Sinoma axis of Sagamu, Ogun State. It involved a black Lexus SUV and a stationary red Sinotruck.
According to the FRSC, five adult males were involved in the crash. Two of them, identified as Joshua’s friends, died instantly. One person sustained injuries, while two others escaped unhurt. Joshua reportedly survived the crash with minor injuries.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, FRSC spokesperson Olusegun Ogungbemide said the corps had conducted an initial professional assessment at the scene. He stressed, however, that only a full technical report would determine the final cause of the crash.
He explained that officers from the crash observatory, comprising experienced safety experts, examined the crash site shortly after the incident and drew preliminary conclusions based on impact analysis and road configuration.
“When you look at the impact of that crash, definitely you know that whoever must have been operating under the speed limit as put in place by the Federal Government wouldn’t have had such an impact,” he said.
Ogungbemide noted that the truck involved in the crash was parked on the shoulder of the road and was not reported to have broken down at the location.
“The information reaching us is that it is not that the vehicle broke down there. Maybe the man parked there, which was on the shoulder of the road,” he said.
According to him, although no speed-measuring device was actively recording data at the exact point of the crash, trained officers could infer likely speed from the level of damage and the force of impact.
“At that moment, there was no technical equipment to actually confirm the speed at which the vehicle was going.
“But when you look at the impact of a crash, you should be able to know at what speed that vehicle is likely to be moving,” the spokesperson explained.
He added that the maximum speed limit on highways is 100 kilometres per hour, noting that crashes occurring within that limit are less likely to result in severe consequences.
“The push and the impact involving that jeep and the parked truck give you a better guess, pending the technical investigation we are looking at,” Ogungbemide said.
The FRSC spokesperson also addressed concerns about emergency response, stating that patrol teams arrived at the scene within three minutes of the crash.
Ogungbemide said, “The response time was three minutes,” adding, “That corridor where this crash occurred, we have more than five emergency ambulance points.”
On Joshua’s condition, Ogungbemide said the boxer was responsive at the scene and received prompt assistance.
He confirmed that the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, had directed that the technical investigation be concluded and the findings communicated to the public.
“The moment they conclude, they will reach out to members of the public,” he said.
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