Blackburn man died after car he was fixing fell on him, inquest rules

Imran Afzal died on October 6 after the jack collapsed while he was working on a car in Lower Ashworth Close, causing the vehicle to fall on top of him.

An inquest into his death, conducted by coroner Janine Wolstenholme yesterday at Blackburn Town Hall, confirmed that the heavy weight of the vehicle led to asphyxia.

Imran Afzal was described as a “much loved son” (Image: Family)

Paying tribute after the inquest, his family said Imran was a “much-loved son who will be dearly missed.”

Evidence provided by the police confirmed that the 34-year-old’s body was discovered by a teenager who was walking home with a friend and heard a ringing from a phone that belonged to Imran.

Imran Afzal worked as mechanic in Blackburn (Image: Family)

Ms Wolstenholme said: “There was no one else walking or driving, and he heard a phone ringing when he noticed a gentleman under the car. He immediately sought urgent assistance as the car was applying pressure to the gentleman’s body.”

READ MORE: Man in his 30s dies in tragic incident on Blackburn estate

At the time of the incident, police cordoned off the road, and an air ambulance was called. There was a large police presence on the estate late into the afternoon.

The coroner concluded that there were no suspicious circumstances of third-party involvement in the case.

Ms Wolstenholme recorded a narrative conclusion.

She said: “Imran Afzal was born in Pakistan, and he was a mechanic and husband. He lived at Lower Ashworth Close.

“On October 6 2025, he died at his home address from a crush injury when a car he was working on fell on top of him. That therefore concludes the inquest.”