Revealed: Truck driver at centre of Anthony Joshua horror smash goes on the RUN sparking manhunt – as police reveal he was parked on hard shoulder of Nigeria’s deadliest road illegally

The driver of the truck that Anthony Joshua’s SUV crashed into on Nigeria’s deadliest road has disappeared, prompting a police manhunt, the Daily Mail can reveal.

Nigerian police have confirmed that the man, who is in his 30s but has not been named, is wanted in connection with the fatal crash that killed two of the champion boxer’s best friends.

They also confirmed that the truck was parked illegally on the hard shoulder of the road north of the capital Lagos.

In a further development, the driver of the Lexus carrying Joshua is also being investigated by cops for speeding and may face prosecution for careless driving following Monday’s crash that killed Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.

Officers at the Sagamu car park near the scene of the tragedy showed the Daily Mail the stricken HGV which had been towed to the scene just hours earlier.

Hidden in a secluded part of the compound, the soybean truck registered to a company in Lagos still bears the scars of Monday’s crash, which came within inches of killing 36-year-old Joshua.

The truck has damage to the driver’s side where the Lexus crashed head-on and is covered with police tape, but the driver remains at large.

“He was parked on the side of the highway, which is illegal, he was intact and he was not near the vehicle when the accident happened,” said a Nigerian officer at the shelter.

Joshua is seen with his friends Latif Ayodele (center) and Sina Ghami, who died in the accident

Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele (both 36) were part of Joshua’s inner circle and had traveled to Nigeria with the boxer a week after he pocketed a famous £75million for his victorious fight with YouTuber Jake Paul.

This comes as police, as part of their investigation, are also focusing on the driver of the Lexus, who they say was exceeding the 100km per hour speed limit before the crash.

Eyewitnesses described the crash as sounding like a “bomb” and police say the SUV had a tire blown out before the crash.

Joshua is currently recovering in the Royal Suites at the luxurious Duchess International Hospital in Lagos, with packages starting from £2,000 per night.

The Nigerian president announced on Monday that Joshua’s mother, Yeta Odusanya, is currently at his bedside in hospital, where he will see her in the new year.

Harrowing photos on social media show two-time heavyweight world champion Joshua being pulled from the wrecked car as he writhes in pain.

Local police initially told Daily Mail Sport that Joshua’s condition was ‘stable’ and that he had only suffered ‘minor’ injuries, but it is feared these injuries could be more serious than advertised.

According to Nigerian police, the Lexus lost control, exceeding the 50 mph speed limit, during an “overtaking manoeuvre” on what locals claim is one of Nigeria’s deadliest roads.

Anthony Joshua, 36, looked dazed as he sat among broken glass in a wrecked Lexus SUV

Joshua was involved in a horrific car accident in Nigeria on Monday that killed his two best friends.

According to reports in Nigerian media, a lawsuit may be filed against the driver of the vehicle.

An eyewitness also told Punch newspaper: ‘It was a convoy of two vehicles: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV.

Joshua was sitting behind the driver with another person. There was also a passenger sitting next to the driver, resulting in four passengers in the Lexus that crashed. The security team was in the vehicle behind them before the accident.

Sina Ghami and Kevin Latif Ayodele died while sitting just inches away from him, adding to dozens of others killed on the road in recent months; Which makes the boxer’s survival even more surprising.

Figures paint a grim picture of the dangers on Nigeria’s most dangerous road; In just three months of this year, there have been 73 deaths along the 127.6 km (79 mi) stretch of road, which is 60 km (37 mi) shorter than the M25.

11,396 people were involved in 1,557 accidents on the Highway in the last 27 months; of these, 645 deaths and 3,964 injuries occurred.

While nine people lost their lives in an accident in February alone, four people died in an accident in the same area in March.

At least 1,593 people died on Nigerian roads in the first quarter of 2025; This is just nine fewer deaths than the number of deaths in the UK in the whole of 2024.

The road where the accident took place was very famous and Daily Mail passed through it on the way to Sagamu and was shocked by the driving.

He is later seen speaking to authorities while sitting in the front seat of an emergency vehicle. Joshua suffered minor injuries and two others died at the scene.

The photo of the truck that was hit by Lexus is here

Just hours before the fatal accident, Joshua had shared a story on his Instagram account in which he was seen topless playing table tennis with his long-time friend Ayodele.

Lane discipline and the 100 km/h speed limit were completely ignored and although the three-lane carriageway was in good condition the hard shoulder was regularly clogged with vehicles and stops.

Pedestrians were taking their lives into their own hands as they walked down the highway, dodging speeding cars, and there was a constant cacophony of honks.

The condition of some of the vehicles was glaring, many were battered and some were tied together with ropes and cables, and several times the cars went the wrong way along the hard shoulder.