A taxi driver, Ghulum Murtaza, gave a tearful account of the tragic collision on the M602 in Salford, where he hit Benjamin Connor, who later died in hospital. The inquest heard that Mr Connor was walking against the flow of traffic, and that Mr Murtaza had insufficient time to react. The jury praised Mr Murtaza for his bravery in aiding Mr Connor after the accident.
A taxi driver recounted the harrowing experience of hitting a man with his car on a motorway, an incident that ultimately resulted in the man's death. Ghulum Murtaza, who was lauded by the jury and the coroner for his bravery in the immediate aftermath of the collision, described how Benjamin Connor, 30, 'all of a sudden came in front of my car' from the central reservation of the M602 in Salford. During an inquest at Bolton Coroners' Court on Thursday (January 17), it was revealed that Mr.
Connor had been walking into oncoming traffic near the Regent Road roundabout at the time. Mr. Murtaza, a private hire driver, stated he was driving his Renault Megane towards Manchester without any passengers, describing it as a 'quiet run' in the early hours. He explained that he saw Mr. Connor and attempted to react, but the collision was unavoidable. 'I tried to avoid him, but it was a fraction of a second,' he told the jury. Mr. Murtaza stated that he believed another motorist was about to 'run him over again', prompting him to stop his car and rush to Mr. Connor's aid. He lifted him up and placed him on the central reservation. While giving evidence on the fourth day of the inquest, he recounted his attempts to flag down other cars for help, but none stopped. He immediately called 999. 'The next morning, it came to my knowledge that Mr Connor had passed away,' Mr. Murtaza told the jury. 'It was quite tough. I was quite traumatised. I did not sleep for weeks. This whole thing has changed my life. When I saw him, I was shocked and panicked. I did not know what to do.' He confessed to crying 'for hours' after the incident, but received praise from both the jury and coroner Peter Sigee for his actions. The inquest learned that his car was fully roadworthy and CCTV footage was reviewed as part of the accident investigation. The jury was informed that 13 vehicles were observed passing Mr. Connor as he walked 'against the flow of traffic' in and out of live lanes. The investigation concluded it was 'likely' that Mr. Murtaza had 'insufficient time and distance to respond' to him. Mr. Connor was described as having moved 'quickly and suddenly' into the path of the taxi. Another witness, Craig Brown, observed Mr. Connor 'in the middle of the road' walking with his arms inside a top he was wearing to keep warm. Mr. Brown stated that Mr. Connor was not staggering and did not appear intoxicated. He was transported to Salford Royal Hospital following the 2.40am collision on December 28, 2021, but succumbed to his injuries. Tests revealed the presence of alcohol and cannabis in his urine and blood. The jury heard that Mr. Connor had been detained by police at a house in Rusholme, Manchester, at approximately 12.40am that morning following reports from the owner that he was armed with a knife and refusing to leave. He ended up being dropped off by police and 'de-arrested' at Cornbrook Metrolink tram stop - almost two hours before the collision. Officers stated they believed he 'didn't pose a risk to himself', the jury was told, but Mr. Connor's family have criticized the decision. His mother wrote a letter to the coroner's court expressing her anguish: 'I want to know how and why the police let my son go on that night as it was evident that he was in no fit state to be left alone. I can't understand why he was not locked up. Dumped at Cornbrook station with no money, phone or transport at Christmas. Our family is broken.' The inquest continues
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