Family of Lancashire taxi driver killed in head-on crash Bolton crash 'devastated', says daughter
The daughter of a Lancashire taxi driver who was killed in a head-on crash in Bolton that also claimed the lives of three teenagers has said her family is “in shock” and heartbroken.
Masrob Ali, 54, from Blackburn, died when the taxi he was driving was involved in a collision with another car on Wigan Road in Bolton in the early hours of Sunday.
Speaking to BBC Manchester, his daughter Humayra Ali, 29, said the loss of her father felt unreal.
“We are all in shock – even in denial,” she said. “I feel like it’s just a bad dream that I’m about to wake up from.”
She added: “My first thought was how scared my father must have been in that one split moment before his life was lost.”
Three teenagers who were travelling in the other vehicle also died in the collision.
They have been named by police as Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar, 18, Farhan Patel, 18, and 19-year-old Mohammed Danyaal Asghar Ali, all from Bolton.
Paying tribute to her father, Ms Ali told BBC Manchester he was a kind, generous and hard-working man who was loved by everyone who knew him.
“He was just a really good man - anyone would say so,” she said.
“Anyone who has known him would say he’s kind, very generous and has a big heart.
“People have come back to tell me that he had the gentlest soul. He was hard-working, and he was very hard-working right until his last breath.”
Ms Ali said the family is now trying to arrange his funeral as quickly as possible.
“We are trying to expedite the process so that we can have the funeral as soon as possible,” she told BBC Manchester.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the collision happened at around 12.45am when a red Seat Leon collided with a Citroen C4 Picasso taxi.
Five passengers from both vehicles were injured and remain in hospital.
In the Citroen, a 29-year-old woman suffered potentially life-threatening injuries, while a 28-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man suffered serious injuries.
A 29-year-old man sustained minor injuries.
An 18-year-old man who was a passenger in the Seat Leon also remains in hospital with minor injuries.
Detective Inspector Andrew Page, of GMP’s serious collision investigation unit, said: “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.”
Local councillor Ayyub Patel said the “community is very saddened by the tragic news”, saying the authorities should be left to carry out their investigations.
Anyone with information is asked to call GMP on 0161 856 4741, quoting log number 111 of January 11.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or online.