Remember me
A man killed in a head-on smash in which three teenagers also died was a 'safe driver' and 'the sweetest, most gentle soul', his grieving family said today.
Taxi driver Masrob Ali, 54, is believed to have died instantly in the crash in Bolton, which was caught on CCTV in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Footage appears to show the Seat containing the teenagers travelling at high speed on the wrong side of the 30mph road when it hits the father-of-four's Citroen C4 Picasso private hire vehicle head-on.
Police today confirmed that the other victims were Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar and Farhan Patel, both aged 18, and Mohammed Danyaal, aged 19.
Mr Ali's daughter said he was a 'safe' driver and that they were being comforted by the belief that the tragedy did not appear to have been his fault.
'He was just the kindest man,' Humayra Ali, 29, told the Daily Mail.
'Everyone described him as the sweetest, most gentle soul. He would always talk to you with a smile on his face.'
The family added police had informed them that Mr Ali was killed instantly and wouldn't have suffered.
Masrob Ali, 54, who was tragically killed when his private hire vehicle collided head-on with a Seat containing three teenagers in Bolton in the early hours of Sunday morning, pictured at his 21-year-old daughter Zahrin's graduation
Private hire driver Masrob Ali, 54, (pictured) was 'such a safe driver' and always used to tell his family 'don't worry about me', they said today
His daughter told Lancs Live that Mr Ali - who had driven the cab for ten years - was 'such a safe driver' and always used to tell his family: 'Don't worry about me.'
'It's clear that my dad wasn't at fault and didn't do anything wrong,' she added.
The fatal crash happened at around 12.45am on Wigan Road on Sunday. The three teenagers inside the red Seat were killed, as well as Mr Ali, of Blackburn.
Confirming the four names today, Greater Manchester Police said their families are being supported by specially-trained officers.
Five passengers from both vehicles remain in hospital for treatment, including a 29-year-old woman travelling in the Citroen who suffered potentially life-threatening injuries.
CCTV captured at a nearby property appears to show the Seat travelling at high speed on the wrong side of the 30mph road.
The taxi is seen moving along the street when it is met head-on with the Seat, which smashes into it at force.
After the impact, the Seat can be seen spinning across the carriageway, sending debris flying, before hitting a parked car and coming to a stop.
Footage from CCTV cameras of a nearby property show the Picasso taxi (back left) travelling along Wigan Road in Bolton just before the collision
The point of impact (right) between the two cars appears to show the Seat travelling on the wrong side of the road at speed
The Citroen Picasso, removed from the scene on Wigan Road on Sunday morning, was very badly damaged in the crash
Another five passengers were taken to hospital, where they are being treated.
Residents reported hearing a 'very loud bang' and seeing emergency services performing CPR on injured passengers on the roadside.
On Sunday afternoon the names of the teenagers and the taxi driver were released by Bolton Council of Mosques, who asked people to pray for their families.
A letter from BCoM's executive team, also tweeted on X, said the mosque was 'closely supporting' relatives and liaising with the appropriate authorities.
The road was closed for more than 14 hours by officers from Greater Manchester Police's Serious Collision Investigation Unit before being re-opened around 3.15pm.
Both vehicles, which suffered extensive damage, were removed from the scene.
Police informed Mr Ali's family of his tragic death shortly before 6am, they said today.
His daughter Humayra added: 'He was kind-hearted and very generous. He would give to others even if he didn’t have anything himself.
Private hire driver Masrob Ali (pictured) was 'the sweetest, most gentle soul', his grieving family said today
'My dad was always there for people and was always a very hard worker. He would always work hard, even up to the last moments of his life.
'He never spoke badly about anyone and was just a kind person. There is not a single bad thing anyone can say about him. He was so sweet.
'My brothers keep saying how well he treated us all. I am glad that he is finally able to rest now. He has worked hard all his life.'
Speaking from the collision site on Sunday afternoon Chief Inspector Helen McCormack, of Greater Manchester Police, said emergency crews were faced with a 'challenging scene'.
'This was a devastating incident for all those involved, none more so than the families of the deceased,' she said.
'This is a tragic reminder 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.
Four people died and five others were injured in the accident in Bolton just before 1am on Sunday morning
'We have massively reduced the number of serious and fatal collisions in Bolton and significantly increased our proactivity, but we've all got much more to do.
'One incident is one too many and will do nothing to bring back the four lives lost here today. My thoughts are with everyone affected.'
Ms McCormack confirmed officers were aware of a Snapchat video taken before the crash, which showed a car travelling at 120mph, but said they had yet to establish whether it was connected to the accident.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said they sent three appliances to the crash and firefighters spent around two hours cutting the injured passengers from the cars before they were taken to hospital.
One local, who said the Seat came to rest after crashing into his wife's red Peugeot, which was parked outside their home, said the main thoroughfare was plagued with speeding motorists and crashes were common.
He said he'd previously called to the council to install speed control measures, such as speed bumps.
'The other car was travelling on the wrong side of the road and it's gone straight into the taxi,' he said.
'The other car has spun over to the other side of the road and hit my wife's car.
Another image showed the mangled bonnet and engine of the Picasso as it was loaded onto a recovery truck
Chief Inspector Helen McCormack, of Greater Manchester Police, spoke to reporters at the scene of the crash. She said it was a 'devastating incident for all those involved'
'There was debris all over the road. The man's sister, who also lives nearby, said she was woken by a loud bang. It was chaos,' she said.
'Both cars were badly smashed up. Emergency services arrived very quickly and I could see paramedics performing CPR on injured people.
'Firefighters also had to cut people out of the red car. It was a pretty horrific scene.'
She said she'd also called on the council to install speed bumps, adding: 'It shouldn't take four fatalities before they do something.
'I'm not saying it would have stopped this crash but there are crashes on this road all the time. My car, which was parked outside, had to be written off after one smash.'
Another local said: 'I saw the taxi driver's passenger, a woman, get out the taxi and there were two other people who were in the taxi unconscious.'
Green Party Councillor Hanif Alli also said: 'This is such a needless, tragic, loss of life and we, like many others, are in shock at the severity of the crash.'
Earlier, rumours circulating on social media that the crash was the result of a police chase, were quickly debunked by local politicians.
Councillor Ayyub Patel, who represents Rumworth ward, said: 'I have spoken directly with officers, who have confirmed that no police or other authorities were involved.
'This was an unfortunate and deeply distressing incident, resulting in fatalities and a number of injuries.
'My heartfelt condolences go out to the families and loved ones affected, and my thoughts remain with all those impacted.
'I ask the community to allow the investigation to proceed and to avoid speculation during this difficult time.'
In an update today, police said five passengers from both vehicles remain in hospital for treatment.
In the Citroen, a 29-year-old woman suffered potentially life-threatening injuries.
A 28-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man suffered serious injuries and a 29-year-old man has minor injuries.
An 18-year-old man, who was a passenger in the Seat, remains in hospital for treatment on minor injuries.
On Monday Detective Inspector Andrew Page, of GMP's Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: 'We are still in the early stages of our investigation and work is ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this terrible incident.
'As an investigation team we would encourage people to be mindful of sharing footage on social media given the impact this will have on all the families involved in such a tragic incident.
'Sharing such footage could constitute a criminal offence.
'Thanks to patrols in the area, teams were able to get to the incident location quickly to what was a particularly challenging scene for colleagues in the emergency services.
'I want to thank first responders from our Bolton district and the Road Policing Unit, alongside colleagues from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and the North West Ambulance Service for their hard work since this incident.
'The scene closed on Sunday evening, but we are still appealing for any witnesses to come forward.
'Anyone who saw the vehicle driving before the collision, witnessed the incident itself, or has dashcam/ CCTV footage of the incident can share it with us.'
Officers appealed for anyone who witnessed the Seat before the collision, the crash itself or anyone with dashcam or CCTV of the incident to get in touch directly on 0161 856 4741, quoting log 111, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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