At a Glance
- A head-on collision on Wigan Road in Bolton, England, claimed four lives shortly after midnight on January 11, 2026.
- Three teenagers aged 18-19 and a taxi driver in his 50s died at the scene.
- Five additional passengers were hospitalized; emergency crews worked for two hours to free victims.
- Why it matters: The crash, described by police as “devastating,” has renewed local calls for safety upgrades on a road with a history of serious accidents.
A red Seat Leon and a dark Citroën C4 Picasso collided head-on at 12:45 a.m. on Sunday, January 11, 2026, on Wigan Road in Bolton, approximately 200 miles north of London. The impact killed all four occupants of both vehicles and scattered debris across the carriageway.
The Victims
- Muhammad Danyaal Asghar Ali
- Farhan Patel
- Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar
The three teenagers were traveling in the Seat Leon. The taxi driver, identified locally as Masrob Ali, was alone in the Citroën. Authorities have not yet officially confirmed the names.
Emergency Response
Greater Manchester Police, Fire and Rescue, and the North West Ambulance Service arrived within minutes. Firefighters used hydraulic cutting gear to extract trapped passengers. Five injured people-passengers from both cars-were taken to hospital for treatment. Crews remained on scene for roughly two hours.
Eyewitness Accounts
A resident texting near the intersection told The Bolton News the crash occurred “exactly at 12:44 a.m.” when a “very loud bang” rattled nearby homes. The resident added, “I heard a woman screaming very loudly, straight after the accident… she saw the bodies being crushed.”
Another neighbor recalled seeing first responders perform CPR on one victim and watched a female taxi passenger exit the Citroën while two others remained unconscious inside.
Previous Crashes on Wigan Road
Neelam Khan, a local resident, told BBC North West Tonight that the stretch of Wigan Road has seen multiple collisions. “I don’t understand how people don’t learn from previous accidents, and this is probably the worst one yet,” she said. “It’s probably only going to get worse if nothing happens, so maybe the police and council need to do something about it.”
Police Statement
Greater Manchester Police’s Chief Inspector Helen McCormick called the incident “devastating” and praised first responders. “This was a particularly challenging scene for colleagues in the emergency services,” she said. The Serious Collision Investigation Unit continues to appeal for witnesses and dash-cam footage.
Olivia M. Hartwell reported for News Of Losangeles.
