Jim McCollum, 84, named as family pays tribute after fatal Bathgate crash

What brought three cars into a fatal collision on a Bathgate road on a Sunday afternoon? Four days after two drivers died, that question remains unanswered. The latest development is a name and a family’s tribute: Jim McCollum, 84, has been identified as the Peugeot driver killed on the B708 Lower Bathville road in West Lothian. ^{2 9}

McCollum’s identification and the tribute were published on October 29, alongside a renewed police appeal for witnesses and dashcam footage. The collision itself happened at about 12:15pm on Sunday, October 25, 2026—not on the day the naming reports appeared. Police Scotland’s original appeal explicitly records that date and time. ^{2 12}

His family remembered him through the relationships that defined his life, describing a husband, father and grandfather whose loss had left them heartbroken.

McCollum was driving a blue Peugeot 208. The other driver who died was a 20-year-old man at the wheel of a white BMW 116D. A blue Citroen Saxo was the third vehicle involved. Emergency services attended, but both the Peugeot and BMW drivers were pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not established publicly how the three vehicles came together. ²

Edinburgh Live reported on October 28 that the younger driver had been named locally as Arran Callander. That remains distinct from an official identification: the BBC’s October 29 account said police had not yet named the BMW driver. The locally reported name should not be read as police confirmation. ^{15 1}

The BMW’s passenger, a 19-year-old man, was taken to hospital for treatment. The October 29 reports repeat that information but give no clinical condition or subsequent update. They do not establish whether he remains in hospital, has been discharged or is recovering; the confirmed information is that he required hospital treatment after the collision. ^{2 9}

A 20-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman in the Citroen were assessed by paramedics at the scene. Police have not provided a further injury assessment for either occupant. Being assessed at the roadside does not, by itself, establish that they were uninjured or seriously hurt. ²

The confirmed location is the B708 Lower Bathville road in Bathgate. No junction, landmark or more precise collision position has been established in the published accounts. Police closed the road afterward so a collision investigation could take place; that account does not establish a current closure or a reopening time. ²

The collision happened during Storm Boelo, according to the BBC. That is context, not a finding about its cause. Investigators have not identified the weather as the reason the vehicles collided, and neither the sequence of the crash nor responsibility for it has been established. No finding of fault or criminal charge is established in the available reports. ^{1 2}

The distinction matters: knowing which cars were involved and who was inside them is not the same as knowing what happened between them. The renewed appeal is aimed at gathering evidence that could help officers establish those missing circumstances, rather than announcing an explanation. ⁹

Sergeant Dave Waddell, of the Road Policing Unit, said: “Our thoughts remain with families and friends of the two men who have died, at this difficult time.” He added: “We are continuing to appeal for information and would ask anyone who witnessed the crash or may have dash-cam footage which could assist, to contact us as soon as possible.” ⁹

Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident reference 1770 of 25 October 2026. The appeal covers both people who witnessed the collision and anyone with relevant dashcam footage that could assist the investigation. ²