Four are dead and five injured after the major crash
Four are dead and five injured after the major crash
Three teenagers and a taxi driver who died in a tragic head-on crash have been named locally. The four were involved in a collision in Greater Manchester in the early hours of Sunday morning (January 11).
The men, between the ages of 18 and 19, were in a red Seat Leon when it collided with a Citreon C4 Picasso taxi in the ‘devastating incident’. The ‘loud’ crash took place on Wigan Road in Bolton.
The teenagers have been named by the Bolton Council of Mosques (BCoM) as Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar, Farhan Patel and Muhammad Danyaal Asghar Ali. The taxi driver, in his 50s, has been named as Mosrab Ali. The BCoM said in a statement they are supporting the families of the victims.
The taxi driver is reportedly from Blackburn. As a result of the crash five injured passengers were being treated in hospital.
Chief Inspector Helen McCormick told reporters at the scene on Sunday that formal identification of the deceased remains ongoing.
A neighbour said that a “loud bang” woke her up and she noticed “quite a bit of debris” on the road when looking out of her window. She described the red Seat as being “really damaged”.
Footage from a nearby property shared online showed a head-on crash, before both cars and debris were sent flying in different directions. Inspector McCormick said: “It is with great sadness that I can confirm that in the early hours of this morning, four people tragically died in a collision here on Wigan Road.
“They are believed to be three teenagers, aged 18 and 19, and a taxi driver in his 50s. Formal identification is ongoing at this time, and of course it is pivotal that we get this right.
“The families of those we believe have been fatally injured in this incident are being informed, and we have specialist family liaison officers supporting them at this current time. Five other people have been taken to hospital where they are currently being treated.
“This was a devastating incident for all those involved, none more so than the families of the deceased.
“This was a particularly challenging scene for colleagues in the emergency services, and I want to thank first responders from our Bolton district and road policing unit of GMP, as well as the fire service and ambulance service, for all their hard work through the night and into today.
“This is a tragic remainder of the importance of safety on our roads across Greater Manchester and here in Bolton, where plenty of work has been done and continues to try and ensure our roads are safe for all. We have massively reduced the number of serious and fatal collisions in Bolton. But we have all got much more to do.
“One incident is one too many and this will do nothing to bring back the four lives affected. My thoughts are with everyone affected.”
