Posted on the 16th February 2026 in PHTM News

NEW DRIVER JAILED AFTER SPEEDING STUNTS LEAD TO MULTI-CAR PILE -UP AND DEATH OF CABBIE

A 21-year-old woman has been sentenced to six years and eight months in prison after killing two people in a high-speed collision just three weeks after passing her driving test.

Liberty Mitchell, of Chipping Norton, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and driving without insurance following the December 2022 crash on the B4425 in Gloucestershire.

The court heard that Mitchell was travelling at 96mph in a 60mph zone when she attempted to overtake three vehicles at once in her Mini Cooper.

The resulting multi-car pile-up killed taxi driver Octavian Codreanu at the scene and his passenger, school teacher Moyra Whelan, who died later in hospital.

Three other people suffered "horrendous" life-changing injuries, including a fractured hip, broken ribs, severe abdominal wounds and shattered bones protruding through the skin.

Police investigations revealed a pattern of reckless behaviour. Analysis of Mitchell’s social media showed she regularly filmed Snapchat videos while driving, including one where she reached 100mph and another where she veered toward oncoming traffic.

During the sentencing at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday 13 February, Judge Rupert Lowe described Mitchell, who wept openly in the dock, as "a reckless and immature young driver suffering from the, frankly common, teenage delusion that you were invulnerable.

"The lives of all the victims and their families have been irrevocably changed."

Family and survivors shared emotional tributes during the hearing.

Katy-Louise Whelan said of her sister Moyra: "It's like the light of the world is dimmed and we will never be able to turn it back on again."

Survivor Nicola Cooper, who was in the taxi, added: "The crash itself was traumatic, the impact felt endless. I live with survivor's guilt and the trauma of losing one of my closest friends, Moyra, who was sitting just inches from me."

While the defence argued the crash was a result of "inexperience rather than irresponsibility," Sergeant Williams of the Serious Collision Investigation Team noted the lasting impact on the victims' families and witnesses.

In addition to her prison sentence, Mitchell has been banned from driving for over eight years and must pass an extended test before returning to the road.


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