The 21-year-old son of English football legend Stuart Pearce has been tragically killed in a tractor crash.
According to the Daily Mail, Harley Pearce lost control of the farm vehicle on a country road near his family home in Wiltshire. The tractor he was driving suffered a possible tyre blow-out, which caused him to veer off the road.
Gloucestershire Police have confirmed that he died at the scene in Witcombe, last Thursday. The force said his parents have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.
Further reporting on the accident reveals that emergency services were called at around 2.30pm on Thursday to a report of a collision involving a tractor on the A417 Old Birdlip Hill in Witcombe. Investigating officers are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash or who has any relevant dashcam footage to get in touch. A source told the Daily Mail:
"From what we've been told is Harley's tractor had a blowout and he lost control."
Harley was the youngest of two children Stuart had with his ex-wife, Liz. The former couple also have an older daughter, Chelsea, from their 20-year marriage that ended in 2013.
He ran his own company, Harley Pearce Agricultural Service, working on farms on the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire border and lived near Marlborough in Wiltshire.
Father Stuart is an England and Nottingham Forest legend, playing 78 times for the Three Lions, and winning the League Cup twice with Forest. He too was involved in a serious car crash in 1998 when the car he was driving was crushed by a lorry overturning and landing on the roof of vehicle, but escaped with only minor hand injuries and a stiff back.
As recently as March, there were concerns over the retired footballer's health after an incident on an aeroplane. Pearce experienced chest pains on board a flight from the United States, where he had been watching the Super League match between Wigan and Warrington. The Las Vegas to Heathrow flight was diverted to St John's in Canada, and he spent five days in hospital recovering.