Two men have been jailed for a total of 24 years and five months for their part in a tragic traffic crash which killed a UK-based Nigerian, Sylvester Abayomi, in Manchester.
The convicts, Uways Hussain, 20 and Usmon Mahmood, 23, were convicted over the March 2026 collision in Kingsway, Manchester that resulted in the death of Abayomi, The PUNCH reports.
It was revealed from a statement by the Greater Manchester Police, obtained yesterday, that Hussain was sentenced to 11 years and eight months and Mahmood to 12 years and nine months.
It is thought to be one of the first examples in the UK where a passenger has been convicted of aiding and abetting, and caused death by hazardous driving, the statement said.
According to investigations, GMP said the pair had spent the night before the incident driving recklessly throughout South Manchester, filming themselves travelling at extreme speeds.
Police said the vehicle involved in the incident was owned by Mahmood who allowed Hussain to drive it the whole night.
Investigators found mobile phone footage which showed the couple driving at speeds over 100mph on highways with 30mph speed restrictions again and again, it said.
The footage also showed them running red lights and weaving through traffic “with no regard for the safety of other road users”, GMP added.
The statement added: “The sentences follow a night of dangerous driving where the pair filmed themselves driving consistently at speeds of more than 100mph on 30mph roads.
“On occasions, the pair were recorded at over 130mph, and seconds before the collision were logged at 139mph. At one point throughout the night the pair pulled into a petrol station where CCTV shows Mahmood inhaling from a balloon in the passenger seat.
“Further footage obtained shows Mahmood in the passenger seat with a balloon to his mouth as Hussain is driving at more than 100mph and he too appears to be inhaling from a balloon.
The deadly crash happened at 4.36am at the crossroads of Green End Road and Kingsway in March 2026, GMP said.
Abayomi was on his way to work and was entering the junction on a green traffic signal when he was hit by the speeding Volkswagen Golf driven by Hussain who had drove through a red light.
Sylvester was entering the crossroads on a green light on his way to work, thinking it was all clear.
“He was then struck by a Volkswagen Golf driven by Hussain which had gone through a red light at a very high speed,” the police said.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene following the disaster, but Abayomi died from his injuries, the statement said. The statement said that shortly after the crash, the couple discussed ways to escape and hide evidence.
GMP said an automatic crash warning from an Apple Watch worn by Hussain recorded discussions between the two men immediately after the crash.
“During this alert, both men could be heard discussing plans to flee the scene and trying to decide what evidence they needed to remove from the vehicle.
“Heard also talking about reporting the vehicle stolen. They then called an Uber immediately to get away from the scene,” the statement added.
GMP said officers responded quickly and apprehended the two suspects within 12 minutes of the initial emergency complaint.
Our initial call was at 4.37am and within 12 minutes the couple were found, captured and arrested by officers.
“Vehicle data recovered later from the Volkswagen Golf confirmed that the car had been travelling at a speed of 139mph in the moments leading up to the fatal impact,” police said.
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