On a summer night in July 2024, a rural road outside the village of Dunmore in Stirlingshire became the site of a devastating tragedy. Jorja Colville, a 21-year-old early years assistant from Stirling, lost control of her Ford Focus while careening around a bend at speeds exceeding 85 mph, resulting in a crash that claimed the lives of her three passengers: Reece Williams (23), Lewis Soden (24), and Connor Page (21). The grim details of that night have now been laid bare in court, where Colville admitted to causing death by dangerous driving—a confession that has left three families shattered and a community in mourning.
According to The Falkirk Herald, Colville was driving on C3 Moss Road, a stretch notorious for its series of peaks and troughs and marked by warning signs alerting drivers to the hazards ahead. Despite these warnings and a posted speed limit of 60 mph, data recovered from the Ford Focus revealed that Colville was consistently driving well above the limit, reaching a peak of 92.6 mph just before the fateful bend. She continued through the curve at over 85 mph, ultimately losing control of the vehicle, which left the road, mounted a verge, and slammed into a tree.
Witnesses described a harrowing scene. Kirstin Scobbie, who was driving at the speed limit on Moss Road, recounted how Colville’s car overtook her at high speed and then pulled back in close to the front of her vehicle. "The white Ford Focus pulled away from her at speed," prosecutor Scott McKenzie told the High Court in Edinburgh, as reported by BBC News. Moments later, Scobbie would come upon debris scattered across the roadway and the wreckage of Colville’s car, which had landed on its side in the bushes, severely damaged.
Scobbie was among the first on the scene, and what she found was chilling. "She stopped her vehicle as she approached the white Ford and saw Jorja Colville covered in blood and screaming for help," McKenzie stated. Colville herself, in shock and injured, told Scobbie that her three passengers were trapped and unresponsive. "She described that none of them were awake and that she did not know if they were breathing," McKenzie continued.
Another motorist, Dean Norris, witnessed the Ford Focus approaching at high speed in the opposite lane. He saw the car momentarily leave the road surface due to a dip, then lose control as it landed back on the tarmac. Norris turned his car around to help, but when he reached the wreck, he could not find any signs of life from the three young men still inside. Emergency services arrived soon after, and Colville confirmed she had been the driver. Her boyfriend, Reece Williams, and friends Lewis Soden and Connor Page were all pronounced dead at the scene.
Post mortem examinations revealed the extent of the injuries suffered by the victims. Williams sustained blunt force injuries to his head, chest, abdomen, and limbs. Soden’s injuries included trauma to his head, neck, chest, abdomen, and pelvis. Page died from multiple blunt force injuries to his head and neck. The loss of these three young men has left their families facing unimaginable grief.
Reece Williams’ mother, Tracy, spoke through Digby Brown Solicitors after Colville’s guilty plea, sharing the depth of her family’s sorrow. "If I close my eyes I can see Reece as a little boy laughing and helping his granddad build a summer house. He was adored by his little sister and shared a special bond with his cousins and aunts. I am so proud of the kind, generous and hardworking man he became. We have been blessed with these memories but are devastated there will be no more. My family and I will never fully comprehend life without Reece." She also acknowledged the wider impact of the tragedy, stating, "The tragedy had not only affected her family, but Jorja and her family too. We know she didn't set out to cause hurt that day, and this will be something she will carry for the rest of her life."
The court heard that Colville, who suffered a broken shoulder and ribs in the crash, has not driven since the incident. She has no previous convictions and, as reported by The Mirror, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. She is currently receiving medication and therapy to help manage her mental health. Advocate depute Scott McKenzie emphasized that Colville had no previous brushes with the law and no pending cases.
Collision investigators concluded that the crash was the direct result of "driving at significantly excessive speed for the road layout and approaching hazards of which she was warned of." The section of Moss Road where the crash occurred is particularly treacherous, with undulating terrain and clear signage intended to alert drivers to the dangers. Yet, on that night, those warnings went unheeded.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Lady Ross made it clear that the consequences for Colville would be severe. "A custodial sentence here is inevitable," she declared, acknowledging the profound and lasting pain inflicted on the families of the victims. "There is nothing that could be said to take away the desperate pain caused in the lives of the families of the three victims." Lady Ross adjourned sentencing to January 8, 2026, at the High Court in Stirling, ordering the preparation of a background report on Colville, who remains on bail but is subject to an interim driving disqualification.
Colville’s defense, led by Gordon Martin KC, did not contest the facts. Martin told the court that Colville "appreciates, as do her family, that inevitably the court will impose a custodial sentence in relation to this matter." The acknowledgment was somber, as the reality of the irreversible loss hung over the proceedings.
The story of this crash is a stark reminder of the dangers of excessive speed, especially on rural roads where visibility, road conditions, and unexpected hazards can quickly turn a moment of carelessness into catastrophe. Despite the presence of warning signs and the knowledge of the road’s risks, a split-second decision to push the limits has left three families grieving and a young woman facing the consequences of a tragic mistake.
As the community around Dunmore and Stirling comes to terms with the aftermath, the sentencing in January will mark another chapter in a case that has already left a deep scar. The hope, perhaps, is that the lessons from this tragedy will resonate beyond the courtroom, serving as a cautionary tale for all who take to the road.
