Hundreds of mourners gathered today to say a final farewell to taxi driver Masrob Ali, who was killed in a head-on crash in Bolton that also claimed the lives of three teenagers.
Friends and family were seen carrying a black coffin into the Masjid-e-Sajedeen Islamic Centre on Plane Tree Road in Blackburn, as others embraced and wept outside the mosque.
The 54-year-old father-of-four died in the early hours of Sunday morning when his Citroen C4 Picasso was struck head-on by a Seat Leon on Wigan Road in Bolton.
Masrob was pronounced dead at the scene, along with the three teenagers travelling in the other car - Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar, Farhan Patel and Muhammad Danyaal Asghar Ali.
An estimated 600 mourners travelled from across the UK, including London, Manchester, Bolton and Birmingham, to attend Masrob's funeral prayers this afternoon.
The service was held at the larger Masjid-e-Sajedeen mosque rather than Masrob's local place of worship, Masjid al-Momineen, due to the sheer number of people expected to attend.
Masrob's body was carried into the mosque covered in a Muslim shroud. His wife and children were present and later walked the short distance back to the family home following the service. A private burial was scheduled to take place at Pleasington Cemetery at 3pm.
Friends and family were seen carrying a black coffin into the Masjid-e-Sajedeen Islamic Centre on Plane Tree Road in Blackburn, as others embraced and wept outside the mosque.
The 54-year-old father-of-four died in the early hours of Sunday morning when his Citroen C4 Picasso was struck head-on by a Seat Leon on Wigan Road in Bolton.
Hundreds of mourners gathered today to say a final farewell to taxi driver Masrob Ali, who was killed in a head-on crash in Bolton that also claimed the lives of three teenagers.
Masrob's eldest daughter, Humayra, paid an emotional tribute to her father, describing him as 'the gentlest soul' and a devoted, hard-working parent. The taxi driver had emigrated to the UK from Bangladesh when he was just 12 years old.
'Nobody has a bad word to say against him, he was so kind and the best dad,' she said.
She also praised police officers for their compassion in the aftermath of the tragedy, adding: 'The police have been wonderful. They said the mortuary is normally closed at weekends but they arranged for it to be opened so we could go and see dad and say goodbye.'
Recalling the moment officers arrived at the family home, she said: 'When they knocked on our door and told us what had happened I was just so confused.'
'Dad was such a safe driver and even when we said we were worried something might happen he would say 'don't worry about me'.'
Masrob was driving a fare at around 12.45am on Sunday when the crash occurred. A joint funeral for the three teenagers was held in Bolton on Tuesday.
The tragedy has also shone a spotlight on the teenagers involved, particularly Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar, 18 - also known as Jibril - who was believed to have been driving the Seat Leon.
His older brother Miraj, 21, later revealed he had warned the teenager about his driving habits in what would prove to be their final conversation.
Miraj, who runs Narkos High Performance Tuning - the garage where Jibril worked as a mechanic - shared screenshots of their WhatsApp exchange on TikTok.
The remains of one of cars involved in the crash. Mukhtar was killed alongside his school friends Mohammed Danyaal Asghar Ali, 19, and Farhan Patel, 18; as well as taxi driver Masrob Ali, 54
Taxi driver Masrob Ali who was killed in the smash. Four passengers from inside his vehicle remain in hospital including a 29-year-old woman who suffered potentially life-threatening injuries
Passengers Danyaal Asghar Ali, 19, and Farhan Patel, 18, who both died in the crash. An 18-year-old passenger in the Seat also sustained minor injuries
The message read: '180 mph one mistake tyre blows or car comes in front. Dead & in pieces. Be smarter.'
In the caption, Miraj wrote: 'My last messages to him - Damn I wish he just listened. But he was only 18.'
A family friend said: 'Jibril liked to drive at crazy speeds and his brother was worried about him.
'He had put out that post about him slowing down. Jibril had an accident in Bolton about a month ago when he flipped the car. He clearly hadn't learnt his lesson. It's tragic he's now lost his life. It's very sad.'
Mukhtar had frequently posted videos of his heavily modified car on social media, showcasing its loud engine, flashing exhaust pipe and cosmetic upgrades.
His brother's garage advertises performance modifications promising 'superior performance, increased power, and an exhilarating exhaust note'.
The deaths of the three teenagers - all former students at Ladybridge High School - prompted an outpouring of tributes online. Friends of Muhammad Danyaal Asghar Ali launched a fundraising page in his memory.
In a statement, they said: 'We are raising funds in loving memory of a dear brother Danyaal Asghar who has passed away,' adding that the loss had been 'deeply painful'. They said they hoped to honour his life by 'giving back and helping others in need'.
Police have since confirmed they are examining video footage believed to show the Seat Leon being driven at 122mph through a built-up area at around 3am on Saturday - less than 24 hours before the fatal crash.
A family friend of one of the teenagers described the clip as 'stupid' and 'crazy', saying the boy's father had been left 'absolutely broken'.
Five passengers from both vehicles remain in hospital. A 29-year-old woman in the Citroen suffered potentially life-threatening injuries, while two other passengers, a 28-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, were seriously injured.
A 29-year-old man suffered minor injuries, as did an 18-year-old passenger in the Seat.
Residents living near Wigan Road said they have been calling for safety measures for years, claiming serious collisions happen 'every couple of months'.
They pointed to a crash just before Christmas outside a primary school, where a car smashed into a wall only yards from Sunday's tragedy. Parts of the damaged wall and debris remain at the scene.
They said they had previously been told that traffic calming measures or speed cameras were not justified because earlier incidents did not involve serious injuries.
CCTV footage of Sunday's crash appears to show the Seat Leon travelling at speed on the wrong side of the 30mph road before colliding head-on with Masrob's taxi.
His older brother Miraj, 21, later shared screenshots of their final message exchange on TikTok, in which he warned the teenager to take greater care on the roads.
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 emergency services.
'I want to thank first responders from our Bolton district and Road Policing Unit alongside colleagues from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and 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.'