Denver, CO : Two people were killed in crash with wrong-way taxi driver near Monaco Parkway and Yale Avenue early Sunday, April 10, 2016

A taxi cab moving northbound in the southbound lanes of Monaco Parkway early Sunday collided with a Hyundai in a fiery crash that killed both drivers.

Metro Taxi officials identified the cab driver as Abdurazaq Bilal, 27, who had been driving for Metro Taxi since September.

Denver police did not identify the other driver.

The crash happened at 5:54 a.m., just as Sinclair Dino Mart manager Biniyam Temesgen put the key in the door to open it.

Temesgen said he heard the crash and saw flames shooting up from the overturned cab. "Very big flames. I was very afraid, because this is a gas station. I prayed for God, 'Please. Do something,' " he said.

The vehicles crashed on the west side of the grassy median, in front of Liberty Savings Bank. Burned and twisted metal, plastic and glass shards littered the area near an RTD bus stop bench, just north of a Safeway gas station and shop that was closed.

Fire trucks arrived within minutes. Temesgen watched as firefighters doused the flames and pumped on one driver's chest, trying to revive him. "I feel very sad. Everbody has their aim, their family and children. ... Immediately, they lost their lives," he said.

"It was silly. There was not any traffic. Only two cars! Why?"

The cab was driving northbound in the southbound lanes at a high speed, Denver police spokesman Tyrone Campbell said, and collided with the Hyundai moving the opposite direction just south of Yale Avenue.

Campbell said a witness pulled Bilal from the cab.

Metro Taxi president and owner Robert McBride said company officials don't know what led to the accident. "We are shocked and deeply saddened at the events and the loss of life," McBride said in an e-mailed statement. "We offer our condolences to the drivers' family and friends. This is an indescribable tragedy."

Metro Taxi is cooperating with the investigation.

Police closed Monaco for nearly six hours while they investigated.

Source :
Cab driver going the wrong way, causes deadly, fiery crash on Monaco near Yale, police say