A taxi driver killed in a devastating head-on crash in Bolton that also claimed the lives of three teenagers has been remembered by his family as a careful driver and a “sweetest, most gentle soul”.54-year-old Masrob Ali died instantly when his car was struck by a Seat carrying three teenagers on Sunday. The crash happened at around 12.45am on Wigan Road and was captured on CCTV.Police confirmed the teenagers who died were Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar and Farhan Patel, both 18, and Mohammed Danyaal, 19. Five other passengers from both vehicles remain in the hospital, reports the Daily Mail.CCTV footage appears to show the Seat travelling at high speed on the wrong side of the 30mph road before colliding head-on with Ali’s taxi. The impact sent the Seat spinning and hitting a parked car before coming to a stop. Ali is a father of four from Blackburn who has worked as a private hire driver for around ten years. His daughter Humayra Ali said the family was comforted by police telling them the crash did not appear to be his fault.“He was just the kindest man,” she said. She added that her father was a careful driver. “It’s clear that my dad wasn’t at fault and didn’t do anything wrong,” she said. Police also told the family he would not have suffered. The family also described him as a ‘safe driver.’Residents nearby described hearing a “very loud bang” and seeing emergency services performing CPR at the roadside. Firefighters spent around two hours cutting injured passengers from the vehicles. The road remained closed for more than 14 hours while investigators worked at the scene.
