Four people have been killed and another five injured following a head-on crash between a car and a taxi in Greater Manchester.
A red Seat Leon collided with a Citroen C4 Picasso taxi on Wigan Road in Bolton in the early hours of Sunday, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
Three men in the Seat Leon died, including the driver – two were aged 18 and one was 19. The driver of the Citreon was also killed.
The teenagers were named by the Bolton Council of Mosques (BCoM) as Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar, Farhan Patel and Muhammad Danyaal Asghar Ali.
The other victim was identified locally as Mosrab Ali, the taxi driver who police said was aged in his 50s.
The BCoM said in a statement that it is closely supporting the families of the men who died.
Five injured passengers were taken to hospital where they were receiving treatment, police said.
Images from the scene show mangled cars with debris strewn across the road while officers investigate the crash.
One of the cars is towed away from the scene – Phil Taylor /SWNS
Doorbell footage of the crash, which happened near a row of homes, appears to show the red Seat Leon travelling on the wrong side of the road before crashing head on into the taxi. It then rolls into a red Peugeot parked nearby.
One neighbour, who said it was his wife’s Peugeot, said: “It looks like the other car was travelling on the wrong side of the road and it’s gone straight into the taxi. I think the taxi was silver or grey but I don’t know which company it was.
“After hitting the taxi, the other car spun over to the other side of the road and hit my wife’s car.
“I didn’t hear the crash but my sister, who lives next door, was woken up and rang me shortly after it happened. There was debris all over the road.”
The man added that accidents were a common occurrence on the road and he had previously called on the council to install control measures such as speed bumps.
His sister, who also did not wish to be named, said she was woken by a loud “bang” and described seeing the aftermath of the crash.
“It was chaos,” she said. “Both cars were badly smashed up and it was obvious there had been a bad crash. 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 that she had 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 the road all the time. My car, which was parked outside, had to be written off after one smash.”
Residents near the site of the crash told the Manchester Evening News they were awoken by a loud bang just before 1am.
They claimed the road was frequented by speeding drivers and that crashes occurred regularly. “It’s really bad. It’s dangerous,” one resident said.
Ch Insp Helen McCormick said formal identification was ongoing.
“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,” she said.
“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.”
Ayyub Patel, councillor for the Rumworth ward, was forced to deny online speculation that the crash was linked to a police chase.
He said in a statement: “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.”
He added: “This is an active investigation, and once the authorities have concluded their work, they will speak directly with the affected families.
“I ask the community to allow the investigation to proceed and to avoid speculation during this difficult time.”
The collision happened on Wigan Road in Bolton, Greater Manchester – Phil Taylor / SWNS
A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “At around 12.50am, three fire engines and the technical response unit attended a crash involving a taxi and a car on Wigan Road, Bolton.
“Firefighters arrived quickly to make the area safe and used cutting equipment to help remove people from the vehicles before passing them into the care of North West Ambulance Service.
“Greater Manchester Police assisted with cordoning the area. Crews were in attendance for roughly two hours.”
GMP said: “Our Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) are appealing for information and witnesses for further information following a fatal collision in the early hours of Sunday Jan 11.
“At around 12.45am, officers attended Wigan Road, Bolton, where a red Seat Leon was travelling down the road and collided with a Citroen C4 Picasso.
“The driver of the Seat, and two passengers have tragically died following the collision. The driver of the Citroen was also sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
“Five injured passengers have been taken to hospital, where they are currently being treated.”
They added: “You can contact the SCIU directly on 0161 856 4741, quoting log 111 of 11/01/2025. Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”
