A file has been prepared for the coronerOfficers at the scene on MondayOfficers at the scene on Monday(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)

An 81-year-old woman who died after the vehicle she was travelling in crashed into a bungalow has been named for the first time.

Emergency services descended on Huddersfield Road in Diggle at around 9.20am on Monday morning (December 8) after a Fiat 500 collided with a bungalow. GMP confirmed that both occupants in the car were women. The driver, aged 75, was taken to hospital with critical injuries, while the passenger, 81-year-old Joceline Franklin, tragically died at the scene.

Rochdale Coroner’s Court confirmed that the inquest into her death is set to open on December 19. GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) is investigating the crash. It says the car travelled southeast along Dorset Avenue, towards Huddersfield Road.

The Fiat then ‘crossed the junction’ before hitting the building, GMP said. A large cordon remained at the scene until around 2pm on Monday afternoon. Three fire engines also attended the incident. Witnesses, or anyone with relevant video footage, are being asked to call SCIU directly on on 0161 856 4741, or to use the Live Chat service on the GMP website, quoting log number 694 of December 8, 2025.