Harley Pearce, the 21-year-old son of England football legend Stuart Pearce, has died in a tragic tractor crash in Gloucestershire. The young entrepreneur lost control of his farm vehicle on a country road near his family home in Wiltshire last Thursday afternoon.
Emergency services were called at around 2:30pm to a report of a collision involving a tractor on the A417 Old Birdlip Hill in Witcombe. Harley died at the scene after his tractor suffered a possible tyre blow-out, causing him to veer off the road.
Family grief and tributes
Gloucestershire Police confirmed that Harley's parents have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. Family tributes described him as a "golden boy with an infectious smile" who had a "wonderful work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit".
Harley ran his own successful business, Harley Pearce Agricultural Service, working on farms across the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire border. He lived near Marlborough in Wiltshire and had built a promising career in the farming industry.
Stuart Pearce's football legacy
Stuart Pearce, known as "Psycho" during his playing career, won 78 caps for England and was a key figure in Euro 96. The former left-back was awarded an MBE in 1999 by the late Queen for his playing career and charity work.
In recent years, Stuart has worked as a pundit and co-commentator for talkSPORT. According to the Daily Star, he experienced a health scare in March involving chest pains during a Las Vegas-Heathrow flight, requiring five days of hospitalisation in Canada.
Family background
Stuart had two children with his ex-wife Liz during their 20-year marriage that ended in 2013. Harley was the youngest, with an older sister Chelsea who is an accomplished equestrian rider competing at three European Championships for Great Britain.
Stuart previously shared a touching anecdote about helping eight-year-old Harley win his school's Fantasy Football league by calling then Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for team selection information. The former England international had himself survived a serious car crash in 1998 when a lorry overturned and landed on his vehicle, escaping with only minor injuries.
Investigating officers are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash or has relevant dashcam footage to contact them. Stuart Pearce has been approached for comment.
Sources used: "Daily Mail", "Daily Star", "Bristol Post", "Belfast Live", "Wales Online", "The Standard"
Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
