Liberty Mitchell recorded Snapchat clips in the days before a Dec. 2, 2022 crash in Gloucestershire that showed her driving at around 100 mph and entering the oncoming lane. The collision killed taxi driver Octavian Codreanu and passenger Moyra Whelan and injured six others. Mitchell pleaded guilty to multiple dangerous driving offences; on appeal her sentence was raised from six years eight months to nine years three months. The recovered footage and bodycam material have sparked debate over sentencing, road safety and social media responsibility.
Driver Who Posted 100 MPH Snapchat Clips Sees Prison Term Raised To 9 Years 3 Months After Fatal Crash
Photo Gloucester Crown Court
On Dec. 2, 2022, a multi-vehicle collision on the B4425 near Aldsworth, Gloucestershire, left two people dead and several others injured. Investigators later recovered Snapchat clips showing Liberty Mitchell driving at roughly 100 mph and moving into the oncoming lane in the days before the crash. Those recordings, together with police body-worn camera footage from her arrest, played a central role in the prosecution and the wider public discussion.
What The Evidence Shows
According to the U.K. Attorney General's Office and police reports, Mitchell — who had passed her driving test only three weeks earlier — was approaching Aldsworth on Dec. 2 when she attempted to overtake three vehicles on the wrong side of the road. Her Mini Cooper was travelling at about 96 mph in a 60 mph zone before it struck a taxi and triggered a multi-vehicle pileup.
The crash killed taxi driver Octavian Codreanu, who was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, 35-year-old history teacher Moyra Whelan, was critically injured and later died at Southmead Hospital; she had been travelling to a school friend’s wedding. Six other people were injured in the collision, three of them seriously.
Charges, Sentence And Context
Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving, two counts of causing death while uninsured and three counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving. She was initially jailed for six years and eight months; the Court of Appeal later increased the term to nine years and three months.
Police investigators also found Mitchell had been travelling between cleaning jobs at the time of the crash and that her motor insurance did not cover business use. The recovered Snapchat and bodycam footage — including clips recorded days before the collision that showed high speeds and lane incursions — were highlighted in court and fuelled public debate.
Public Reaction And Broader Issues
The case prompted widespread online discussion about appropriate sentencing for fatal, preventable crashes and about the responsibility of social media platforms and users. Commenters on forums such as Reddit argued the increased sentence was still too lenient, while others warned it would be technically difficult for platforms to automatically detect and remove footage showing dangerous driving given the huge volume of uploads.
Similar incidents — drivers filming, livestreaming or using phones at the wheel — have led to investigations and prosecutions in other countries. Although laws and sentencing practices vary, the safety risks created by attempting to capture content while driving are consistent internationally.
This collision was a preventable tragedy: two people lost their lives, six were injured and a young driver will spend years in prison. The case highlights how speed, inexperience and the impulse to create social media content on public roads can have irreversible consequences.
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