A newlywed couple have described their miraculous survival after the taxi they were travelling in was involved in a catastrophic head-on collision in Bolton that left four young men dead.
A Night Out Turns to Tragedy
Georgina and Tom Daniels, who married in June last year, were enjoying a Saturday night out with their best friends in Bolton, Greater Manchester. The evening was a send-off for friends embarking on an adventure to Australia. After the celebrations, the two couples booked a taxi for the short journey home in the early hours of Sunday, January 11.
Their taxi, a Citroen C4 Picasso, collided head-on with a Seat Leon on a street in Bolton. The driver of their taxi, 54-year-old Masrob Ali, tragically died at the scene. All three occupants of the Seat Leon – 18-year-olds Mohammed Jibrael Mukhtar and Farhan Patel, and 19-year-old Mohammed Danyaal – also succumbed to their injuries.
Miraculous Escape Amidst Devastation
Mr and Mrs Daniels, along with their two friends, had to be cut free from the unrecognisable wreckage of the taxi. One survivor from the Seat Leon was also rescued. Despite the horrific impact, all four taxi passengers survived, though they now face life-changing injuries.
Speaking from her hospital bed, 28-year-old NHS manager Georgina Daniels expressed her disbelief. "I can't fathom how we're all still alive – it should have taken our lives," she said. "I have no idea how we're all still here after seeing what happened to everyone and the state we are all in. It was just devastation."
The couple now face the arduous task of rebuilding their lives, a process they will have to undertake separately due to the nature of their recoveries. "All of the recovery, rebuilding, the things we will have to get over. And we will have to do it apart. It's cruel," Mrs Daniels added.
Warning Over Dangerous Driving
Mrs Daniels issued a stark warning about dangerous driving, referencing shocking footage that has since emerged. The video, recorded just one night before the fatal crash in the same area, shows a vehicle being driven at 122mph, swerving to avoid slower traffic.
Greater Manchester Police are reportedly using this video as part of their ongoing investigation into the collision. The road where the crash occurred is said to have been the site of several other serious accidents last year.
"It should have been such an exciting part of their lives – for the night to end that way it did, it's shocking to say the least," Mrs Daniels said of their friends' planned trip. A close friend has set up a GoFundMe appeal to support Mr and Mrs Daniels and their two friends while they are unable to work.
