A 26-year-old man described by his family as an 'absolute genius' died after his motorbike collided with the rear of a tractor and trailer while he was on his way to submit his final doctoral assignment. Steven Lee was posthumously awarded his doctorate.
Steven Lee was travelling on his motorbike from his family home in Runcorn to Swansea on August 11, 2022. He was riding along the A40 near Ganarew, Ross on Wye in Hertfordshire, at approximately 9.50pm when he hit the back of Philip Baker's tractor and trailer.
Collision details and court outcome
At a court hearing this September, it emerged that Baker, 61, had been hauling straw from a field and was heading from Walford towards Monmouth. West Mercia Police attended the scene and detained Baker. Its serious collision unit discovered the tractor and trailer had numerous faults, including the absence of an amber beacon - a legal requirement designed to warn other road users of the vehicle's presence and reduced speed.
Officers concluded this was the primary cause of the collision, as Steven had no warning as he approached on his motorbike at a normal speed. It was further established that both the tractor and trailer were in a poor state of repair and were carrying an excessive load of straw bales. The trailer's brakes were non-functional and had no connection to the tractor cab. Officers also discovered that the hydraulic line linking the two vehicles was poorly maintained, while the lights cable was held in place with nothing more than baler twine.
After a trial, Baker was convicted of causing death by dangerous driving and received an eight-year prison sentence alongside a nine-year driving ban at Worcester Crown Court on 22 September this year.
Family tribute and campaign for tractor MOTs
Steven, who had planned to travel to Scotland with his girlfriend Sophie the following day, was pronounced dead at the scene. His sister Rachel Sergeant described how her youngest brother was cherished by all who knew him. She said: "He was our younger brother. He's the youngest of six. He was an absolute genius at everything that he did, he studied medicine at Swansea University, he was literally just about to get his doctorate which my parents picked up on behalf of him after the accident."
Rachel added: "He was a qualified flying instructor and he was a musician. He was a qualified piano teacher by the time he was 16, he was also an accomplished photographer. He also, at 16, received a Queen's commission as well and he dedicated his whole life just to helping people so during covid he was there working on the wards, volunteering, he was just amazing."
Steven's family are now pushing for mandatory MOTs for tractors in the wake of his death. They have started a parliamentary petition calling for the introduction of compulsory annual roadworthiness testing for agricultural vehicles. The petition has already gathered more than 2,000 signatures and requires 10,000 in total for the government to respond. Should it reach 100,000 it will be considered for debate.
Foundation and support for Steven's Law
Rachel is urging for the legislation to be brought in as Steven's Law, with backing from Alyn and Deeside MP Mark Tami. He said: "Steven Lee was just 26 when he was killed in a collision with an agricultural tractor that had several dangerous defects, including the lack of an amber beacon. Since then his family, including my constituent Rachel Sargeant, have been bravely campaigning for stronger regulation of agricultural vehicles used on public roads."
In addition to Steven's Law, the family have established the Dr Steven Lee Foundation, which aims to offer advanced motorcycle training to new riders. Following Baker's sentencing, police sergeant Michael Straughan acknowledged the family's efforts, saying: "We are pleased to get this sentence for Baker whose tractor and trailer were not only in a poor condition but crucially were also not displaying the amber hazard beacon. The lack of that beacon meant Steven was not properly alerted to its presence on the road, nor able to judge its speed properly which would have been less than 25mph on a road which has a maximum of 70mph for most road users. This neglect resulted in the fatal collision and the needless loss of life."
