A 'loving' father-of-six taxi driver who was killed in a late-night horror crash in Birmingham had told his wife he was on his way home just minutes earlier.

Taxi driver Imtiaz Mohammed, 33, was killed instantly when the Audi mounted the central reservation of an underpass and landed on the wrong side of the dual carriageway.

He was his family's 'bread-winner' and had been on his last job of the night when he was involved in the fatal collision, his family said.

Speaking at home in Small Heath, Birmingham, relatives revealed he was due to quit driving within weeks and was on one of his final shifts when the tragic crash happened.

A 42-year-old man and 43-year-old woman who were passengers in the seven-seater cab also died.

Tauqeer Hussain, 26, who was in the Audi was killed along with two other men, aged 30 and 25. A 22-year-old man in the Audi is fighting for life in hospital.

Neighbours of Mr Hussain said: 'I saw him just yesterday, I can't believe it's happened. It's such an awful shame.'

Imtiaz Mohammed, 32, pictured left, died in the smash in Lee Bank Middleway, and was described by his devastated family as 'a legend'. Meanwhile, neighbours of Tauqeer Hussain, pictured right, from Small Heath, Birmingham, confirmed he was a victim

Mr Mohammed's family paid tribute to the 'loving' and 'hardworking' man following the crash

Flowers have been placed at the scene today, just over 24 hours after the horror crash

Locals who witnessed the scene told of their horror at the carnage on the dual carriageway

Mr Mohammed had been working for Castle Cars at the time of the collision and his family have spoken of the shock and devastation it has caused among the whole community.

Officers have described the collision, which happened in Edgbaston shortly after 1am on Sunday, as 'very difficult and distressing' while witnesses said the tragedy just days ahead of Christmas was the 'worst thing they had ever seen'.

Police said a total of six vehicles were caught up in the crash and harrowing images from the scene show a scene of utter carnage with crumpled vehicles, including a people carrier taxi, strewn along the main road.

Reports suggest there could have been problems with visibility and seatbelts may not have been worn in at least two cars, which police are investigating.

Mohammed's younger brother Noorshad recalled that his sibling had only spoken to wife Nargas Gul minutes before the crash at Belgrave and Lee Bank Middleway in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The 32-year-old said: 'It was his last job of the night. That was the last time she spoke to him.

'He was going to come home - he rang his wife at 1am, and they were going to have something to eat.

'And then that was it. That was the last time they spoke.'

Six people were killed in the crash which happened in Birmingham in the early hours

It is thought the Audi went over the central reservation and hit a taxi driving in the opposite direction. The taxi ended up on its side. Another, smaller, car was also crushed

Anger at Facebook over video of the deceased There was anger at Facebook after a video showing the victims of the crash shortly after it happened was allowed to stay online. Footage filmed minutes after the crash which killed six people shows bodies laying in the road. But despite calls for the footage to be removed out of respect for the victims' families, Facebook said it did not 'breach community standards'. Advertisement

Nassrin Bibi, Mr Mohammed's older sister, said the family had been 'devastated' by the news, received at 5am on Sunday morning.

She said: 'It's just so tragic and devastating, and there are no words really. We are just so sad and utterly shattered.'

As she spoke, the sounds of grief - crying and shouts in anguish - could be heard from other rooms, and a steady stream of people came to pay their respects to 'jolly - always smiling' Mr Mohammed.

His cousin Noor Khan, 26, said: 'He was loved by everyone, people are crying, people are devastated, people who are not very close, family relations, people as a friend.

'I am getting three-digit numbers of phone calls asking how it happened, when the funeral is.

'His time was very small, he had a little time with everyone, but he touched everyone's heart.

'You can sit with someone for hours and be always with them - he is with you for five minutes and you start to build love for each other, friendship.

A taxi driver and his two passengers - a man and a woman - were killed in the crash

'He's not my biological brother but my dad and his mum are brother and sister. I see him as my older brother. I see his kids as my kids.

'If they feel they've lost a father and nobody is going to look after them, I'm there for them.

'They have got the family as well. Everyone is supporting each other to take care of him and his family.

'He was married, he has been with her his whole life. She loves him dearly. She is broken, she is devastated.'

He added: 'The saddest thing is he was looking to leave taxis in the next month. I'm knocking myself over the head, did he have to go out that night? He was only a taxi driver for a couple of years.'

His brother Noorshad added that Mr Mohammed doted on his children and 'spoilt them'.

'He would say, 'the only thing I live for is my wife and family',' he said.

Terrible images from the scene of the crash this morning, which has left six people dead and one man fighting for his life in hospital

The Hazardous Area Response Team of West Midlands Ambulance Service have described it as a 'significant incident' while witnesses said it was 'the worst thing they had ever seen'

Photographs from the scene yesterday show two other vehicles with crumpled bumpers

The fourth male occupant of the car from which three others perished remained critically ill in the city's Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Some 40 firefighters were sent to the scene of the collision around 1.11am, on one of the busiest nights of the year and as temperatures plummeted.

The cab driver and his female passenger were confirmed dead at the scene while a man in the vehicle was taken to hospital, where he later died.

Three men in another car were also pronounced dead at the scene, while a fourth was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

The Hazardous Area Response Team of West Midlands Ambulance Service have described it as a 'significant incident',

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said a man and woman in the first car managed to escape with 'relatively minor injuries', and were taken to Heartlands Hospital.

He added: 'The second vehicle, a 'black cab', was on its side.

A couple in a third badly-damaged car 'astonishingly' escaped serious injury, while three other vehicles were involved in a second collision yards along the road as traffic braked to avoid the pile-up in front

The dual carriageway - called Belgrave Middleway - has a 40mph speed limit and is covered by speed cameras on each side of the approach to the underpass, but at least one of the cameras was said to be inoperative

'Sadly, there was nothing that could be done to save the driver and he was confirmed dead at the scene. The man and woman in the back were rapidly extricated.

'Unfortunately, it was not possible to save the woman and she was also confirmed dead at the scene.

'The man was taken on blue lights to the major trauma centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham with the MERIT trauma doctor travelling with the crew. Sadly, he died at hospital.'

There were four men in the third car, the spokesman said, three of whom were confirmed dead at the scene.

The fourth was taken to the major trauma centre at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in a critical condition.

Of those travelling in the three other cars involved in the crash, a man and a woman were treated for minor injuries, one man was discharged after assessment and another said he did not require any assistance.

Police forensic tents remain up at the scene. The taxi is on its side and a black car which appears to be an Audi A3 is smashed up

The crash happened at 1.11am, on one of the busiest nights of the year as temperatures plummeted

Distressing images from the scene show a number of vehicles - including a people carrier taxi - crumpled along the road

There were six vehicles involved in the crash scene, which police said was 'extensive'

Lizzy Bowers, 18, is from London but was visiting friends in Birmingham when she heard the crash.

She said: 'I was in the McDonald's drive through and there were two loud bangs.

'Everyone abandoned their cars and people flocked from everywhere, even flats nearby, to come see what happened.

'There was a people carrier taxi squashed up the wall against another car, which was almost unrecognisable as a car.

'Other cars behind had bumped into each other, probably from slamming their brakes on.

'Very upsetting, emergency service arrived almost minutes after and has been cordoned off with lots of police since.

'There was another small vehicle further down that had been crashed into, but there was the taxi and the car up against the wall.

'It was the most horrible thing I have ever witnessed. It didn't look good at all. This close to Christmas, it is tragic.'

A number of police vehicles remain at the scene while tents are in place as investigators attempt to find out what caused the collision

Police said they are following various lines of investigation including the condition of the road when the crash happened at Belgrave and Lee Bank Middleway, near Edgbaston, at the junction of Bristol Road, shortly after 1am on Sunday.

Superintendent Sean Phillips, from West Midlands Police, told a press conference: 'It is way too early to speculate on the causes of the accident.

'It will take some time to unpick the scene and just understand exactly what's happened. It would be unfair for me to speculate at this time.'

He confirmed the road had been gritted at 5pm the previous evening.

Asked about the speeds the vehicles were travelling at, and whether all of those involved were wearing seatbelts, Mr Phillips said those will be issues considered during the investigation.

The Ambulance Service, which sent five ambulances and three paramedics to the scene, said it was astonishing that a man and woman in the first car were able to escape with minor injuries despite 'extensive damage' to their vehicle.

Three other cars collided as they tried to avoid the scene at the entrance to the underpass.

Of those people, two were taken to Heartlands Hospital with minor injuries. The ambulance service said they dealt with 13 patients in total.

The black taxi was shunted onto its side in the force of the crash, which killed all three people inside

The accident happened in Edgbaston in Birmingham around 1am on Sunday

West Midlands Police described the circumstances of the incident as 'very difficult and upsetting', adding the road will be closed from Islington Row to Bristol Street throughout Sunday.

Two ambulances were on scene within seven minutes and in total, five ambulances, three paramedic officers, the Hazardous Area Response Team, the MERIT Trauma doctor and The Air Ambulance Service Critical Care Car were all sent to the scene.

Sgt Alan Hands from the West Midlands Police Collision Investigation Unit said: 'We are currently dealing with a very serious collision and working with partner agencies to establish what caused this collision to happen.

'Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the families of those who have very sadly lost their lives this morning and those who have been injured or caught up in this incident.'

The collision happened beneath a bridge in Birmingham, with several cars smashing into one another

Police investigators remain at the scene, and have closed the usually busy road

One passer-by, who asked not to be named, said: 'It is really horrific. 'When I saw the scene it reminded me of the pictures of Diana's car crash'

The crash happened at about 1.10am at the entrance to the underpass on Lee Bank Middleway, near Edgbaston, at the junction of Bristol Road

One passer-by, who asked not to be named, said: 'It is really horrific.

'When I saw the scene it reminded me of the pictures of Diana's car crash.

'A man turned up here and said the police had knocked on his door this morning and told him one of his relatives had died in the crash.

'He didn't know what had happened to the second person in the car so he was at the scene trying to find out. It must have been horrendous for him.'

The crash occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning in freezing winter temperatures though it remains unclear whether this was a factor in the crash.

A local resident described how she rushed outside to try and help.

She said: 'I heard a massive bang crash looked out my window and saw a cloud just above the entrance to the tunnel.

'Instantly I knew it was a crash and I grabbed my coat and rushed out to help.

'When you saw it you knew immediately that there would be a fatality - the cars were just so mashed up, it was absolute carnage.

'The emergency services arrived almost immediately and I asked if there was anything I could do, but they said it was best just to keep clear.

'I just couldn't get it out of my mind - it was haunting.

'There was lots of vehicles that were facing the wrong way - clearly as more cars came along there had been accidents with people trying to stop in time.

'The main crash was absolutely awful, the taxi was upturned and caved in.

'I think it was just as much of a shock for the emergency services. There was lots of people just standing around in shock.

'It was horrible you feel shocked, distressed and helpless and I'm not the kind of person to run out into the street in the middle of the night, but I knew it was bad.

'It's just so sad, I really do feel for them I know at any time its bad, but it just seem so bad because its Christmas time.

'I just hope that the ones who had got out alive do recover soon and that the families are coping okay.'

Passer-by Wayne Hopkins, 64, from Hall Green shared his shock and sympathies at the horrific scene.

He said: 'People use this road as a racetrack - it's so dangerous. I can't believe this has happened - it's awful, especially as it's so close to Christmas.'

Sgt Alan Hands from the West Midlands Police Collision Investigation Unit said: 'We are currently dealing with a very serious collision and working with partner agencies to establish what caused this collision to happened'

Emergency services have said that the road, one of the busiest in the city centre, will be closed for the rest of the day while they clear the scene

Six vehicles in total were caught up in the horrific crash, with four people killed at the scene and two taken to hospital, where they passed away

Area Commander Jason Campbell of West Midlands Fire Service said: 'Our deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of everyone who has lost their lives.

'Our thoughts are also with the injured, some of whom are very seriously hurt.

'The first West Midlands Fire Service crews arrived in less than four minutes and were met with a complex scene, spread over some distance.

'Our firefighters' actions involved stabilising vehicles, releasing the dead and injured, as well as administering CPR and first aid.

'All of the emergency services worked together and coordinated their response in extremely challenging circumstances, doing all they possibly could to minimise the loss of life.

'We will be giving our colleagues at West Midlands Police every support possible throughout their investigation into this horrific incident.

'We would urge anyone who saw what happened to contact the police as soon as possible if they haven't already done so.'