Tractor driver jailed for causing motorcyclist's death on A40 near Ganarew
Philip Baker's tractor and trailer had numerous dangerous defects, a court heard
Last updated 22nd Sep 2026
A tractor driver has been jailed for eight years for causing the death of a motorcyclist on the A40 in Herefordshire.
Philip Baker, 61, of Wonastow in Monmouth, was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving following a trial at Worcester Crown Court on Tuesday 28th July.
He was sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, to eight years in prison, and disqualified from driving for nine years.
The case followed a fatal crash on the A40 near Ganarew, Ross-on-Wye, at 9.50pm on 11th August 2022, in which motorcyclist Dr Steven Lee died.
Baker had been drawing straw from a field and was travelling from Walford towards Monmouth on the A40 in the moments before the crash, West Mercia Police said.
The tractor and trailer he was driving had numerous dangerous defects, including a missing amber beacon, which should have warned other road users of the hazard and its slower speed.
Officers from the force's Serious Collision Investigation Unit identified this as the main cause of the crash, as it meant Dr Lee had no warning as he approached on his motorbike at a normal speed.
The tractor and trailer were also in poor condition and overloaded with straw bales, police said.
The trailer's brakes did not work and were not connected to the tractor cab, the hydraulic line between the two was poorly maintained, and the lights cable was held on with baler twine.
Several eyewitnesses confirmed the amber warning light was missing, and Baker had been travelling at a speed significantly lower than the posted limit at the time of the crash.
Dr Lee, who was 26 years old, died at the scene.
Police Sergeant Michael Straughan, the road death lead investigator from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said the 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," Sergeant Straughan said.
"This neglect resulted in the fatal collision and the needless loss of life," he said.
"We know that no sentence can ever make up for the loss they have suffered, but we hope today's result will help Steven's family and friends at what remains an incredibly difficult time, with this incredibly tragic loss of life for a bright young man who has his whole life ahead of him," Sergeant Straughan said.
"Steven's family and friends have since launched a foundation in his memory which aims to reduce the number of fatalities on the roads in England and Wales caused by motorcycle accidents, to support new riders and enhance their road safety," he said.