A TAXI driver died after being "rolled over" by his own vehicle shortly after he dropped off a passenger on a residential street, an inquest heard.
Mohammed Ilyas, 59, an Uber driver from Halifax, died just after 5am on December 23, 2022, in a tragedy on Kenmore Road in Cleckheaton.
An inquest at Bradford Coroner’s Court heard that the incident happened shortly after Mr Ilyas had dropped a fare off on the street.
Robert Crispin, forensic collision investigator for West Yorkshire Police, said police were notified of the crash at 5.30am.
When he arrived at the scene, he said there were residential properties near where the driver was found, which was 55 metres from the car.
He said: “The vehicle rolled down the road where it travelled into a garden.
“There was a mild gradient on the road and the car could have travelled at up to 19mph.
“CCTV captured the vehicle rolling backwards. It rolled into the front garden of a home and the vehicle’s headlights and engine were on and the handbrake was off.
“His black shirt had a tyre print on it, indicative of a tyre rolling over the driver. It was the front off-side tyre.”
Mr Crispin said that both the car’s handbrake and brakes were in serviceable condition and had no defects.
He said: “There was no evidence of where the driver contacted the vehicle, but it potentially rolled back on the footpath and over the driver. The driver had exited the vehicle.
“I believe he drove down the road to drop the fare off and turned the Skoda around facing uphill. He vacated the vehicle with the engine on and was subsequently rolled over by the car.
“It rolled back 55 metres from where the driver was found."
Mr Crispin also confirmed: “We don’t know where the car set off from, we just know where the driver was injured.
“We believe the driver had little opportunity after just exiting vehicle and got caught out."
In a statement, his daughter Nabia Ilyas said her father was born May 14, 1964, in Pakistan. One of six siblings, he married his wife Sajida in 1991 and came to the UK in 1992.
He worked in a Nestlé factory for ten years before he became a taxi driver.
"I'm so grateful to grow up in my dad's presence. He always provided for us."
She described the last time she had seen him was the day before when he was having a snack and talking to her mum.
She then said: "I woke up to my sister screaming in a moment that would change our lives forever."
A woman booked a fare with Uber on December 23, 2022.
Mr Ilyas arrived at her location at about 4.30am and she got into the back of the silver Skoda Octavia. She said he asked her two times: “Are you going to be sick? She said no.
She said that Mr Ilyas seemed “uncomfortable, very weary and fed up”.
Mr Ilyas dropped her off at the bottom of Kenmore Road just before her road and she had returned to her house on Kenmore View before the tragedy unfolded.
In another statement read out on behalf of a witness, Isabella Czybicza described how she was out walking her dog when her attention was “immediately drawn to a vehicle with its headlights on”.
She said: “Due to the position of the car, it looked like it had crashed into a wall.”
“I then saw a man lying face down on the pavement."
She then rang the ambulance service. Shortly after, several police cars and the ambulance service arrived at the scene.
Mr Crispin also mentioned that the rear passenger side door of the car was opened after the impact.
Ian Pears, assistant coroner, asked if Mr Ilyas was “fastidious” about cleaning. His daughter Nabia acknowledged this, saying that he worried if people were sick in his taxi he would miss a day’s work to get it cleaned.
Mr Pears explained to the court that a final decision on the inquest would be delayed until the coroner receives a toxicology report.
But prior to adjourning, he told the court: “I’m going to record that on December 23, 2022, that Mr Ilyas dropped a fare off, and turned around and drove up the road.
“Then whilst he was out of the car, it rolled backwards and it may have rolled over him.”
Mr Pears also told Mr Ilyas’ daughter: “Thank you for your stoicism and sitting through it all. I know it can’t be easy.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here