A 21-year-old woman has been jailed for three years and 10 months after a reckless crash claimed the lives of her boyfriend and two friends.
Jorja Colville, from Stirling, was driving a Ford Focus at speeds of up to 92mph on a country road near Falkirk on July 26, 2024, when she lost control while taking a bend at 85mph. Her car spun off the road and crashed into a tree, killing her boyfriend, 23-year-old Reece Williams, and his friends Lewis Soden, 24, and Connor Page, 21.
At Stirling High Court, Judge Lady Ross described Colville’s actions as “senseless, reckless, and obviously dangerous,” emphasizing that “the value of a human life is immeasurable.” Colville, who passed her driving test in 2021 and was 20 at the time, wept throughout the hearing. She was also banned from driving for six years and 11 months.
The court heard that Colville sought to admit to driving dangerously and at excessive speed as soon as she was discharged from the hospital following the crash. The judge paid tribute to the three victims, describing them as “young men of real character” with ambition and determination, who were “loved and cherished.”
“You knew each of these young men—Reece was your boyfriend, Connor and Lewis were your friends,” Judge Ross said. “You were driving at a speed well above the limit and lost control. The result was catastrophic. Three other drivers witnessed this appallingly dangerous driving.”
The judge urged Colville to use her time in prison to reflect and turn her life around, noting: “Three young men died as a result of your actions, but you have your life ahead of you. You have the strength to live purposefully, not just for yourself but in memory of those who died.”
Family members of the victims paid moving tributes. Tracy Williams, Reece’s mother, said: “If I close my eyes, I can see Reece as a little boy laughing and helping his granddad. We are devastated that there will be no more memories with him. This hasn’t just affected our family, but also Jorja and her family. We know she didn’t set out to cause hurt, and this will be with her for the rest of her life.”
Eyewitnesses described the horrifying scene. Kirstin Scobbie, driving at 60mph, saw Colville’s car overtake her before crashing. Another driver, Dean Norris, saw the vehicle land back on the road and rushed to help but found no signs of life in the car.
Collision investigators concluded that the crash was caused by Colville driving “at significantly excessive speed for the road layout and approaching hazards of which she had been warned.” Road Policing Inspector David Marr said: “Our thoughts remain with the families and friends of the men who died. This tragic incident is a stark reminder of the responsibility every driver has behind the wheel and how dangerous driving can have devastating consequences.”
