RismadarVoice Reporters
June 2, 2026
Two men have been sentenced to a combined 24 years and five months in prison for their roles in a high-speed road crash that claimed the life of a UK-based Nigerian, Sylvester Abayomi, in Manchester.
The convicts, Uways Hussain, 20, and Usmon Mahmood, 23, were sentenced after being found guilty in connection with the March 2026 collision on Kingsway, Manchester, which resulted in Abayomi’s death.
According to a statement issued by the Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Hussain was sentenced to 11 years and eight months’ imprisonment, while Mahmood received 12 years and nine months.
Police said Mahmood’s conviction is believed to be among the first in the United Kingdom in which a passenger was found guilty of aiding and abetting causing death by dangerous driving.
Investigators revealed that the pair had spent the night before the crash driving recklessly around South Manchester while recording videos of themselves travelling at excessive speeds.
The vehicle involved in the crash, a Volkswagen Golf, belonged to Mahmood, who allowed Hussain to drive it throughout the night.
According to GMP, mobile phone footage recovered during the investigation showed the pair repeatedly driving at speeds exceeding 100 kilometres per hour on roads with speed limits of 30 kilometres per hour. In several instances, the vehicle reportedly exceeded 130mph, reaching 139mph moments before the fatal collision.
The footage also captured the pair running red lights and weaving through traffic, endangering other road users.
“At one stage during the night, the pair stopped at a petrol station, where footage shows Mahmood inhaling from a balloon while seated in the passenger seat,” the police statement said.
Additional footage allegedly showed both men inhaling from balloons while the vehicle was travelling at speeds exceeding 100mph.
The fatal crash occurred at approximately 4:36 a.m. at the junction of Green End Road and Kingsway.
Police said Abayomi was on his way to work and entered the intersection on a green traffic signal when his vehicle was struck by the speeding Volkswagen Golf, which had driven through a red light.
“Sylvester was on his way to work and entered the junction on a green light, believing it was safe to proceed. He was then struck by a Volkswagen Golf driven by Hussain, which had travelled through a red light at extremely high speed,” GMP stated.
Emergency services responded to the scene, but Abayomi later died from injuries sustained in the collision.
Investigators further disclosed that moments after the crash, the two men discussed plans to flee the scene and conceal evidence.
An automatic crash alert generated by an Apple Watch worn by Hussain reportedly recorded conversations in which the pair considered removing evidence from the vehicle and falsely reporting it as stolen.
“During this alert, both men could be heard discussing plans to flee the scene and attempting to decide what evidence they needed to remove from the vehicle,” GMP said.
The pair subsequently booked an Uber in an attempt to leave the area, according to investigators.
However, police officers responding to the incident swiftly tracked and arrested both suspects within 12 minutes of receiving the first emergency report.
“We received our first report at 4:37 a.m., and within 12 minutes, the pair had been located, caught and arrested by officers,” the statement added.
Vehicle data later retrieved from the Volkswagen Golf confirmed that it had been travelling at 139mph immediately before impact.
The case has drawn significant attention in the UK because of Mahmood’s conviction as a passenger who actively encouraged and participated in the dangerous driving that led to a fatality.
The sentencing brings to a close a case that has highlighted the deadly consequences of reckless driving and the growing role of digital evidence in criminal investigations.
