Police have provided an update on the ongoing investigation into the death of Neil Priday, who was fatally injured in a tractor accident near Tewkesbury a year ago. Mr Priday, aged 55 and from Welland near Malvern, Worcestershire, died at the scene in Fiddington in August 2025.
At the time, a man in his 20s, believed to have been driving the tractor, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through alcohol. He was subsequently released under investigation.
On the anniversary of Mr Priday’s death, Gloucestershire Constabulary confirmed that a man remains under investigation in connection with the case. No further details have been disclosed, and no date has yet been set for a full inquest into the death.
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The initial inquest opening revealed that on the evening of 9 August, around 11.15pm, police received reports of several intoxicated males operating a tractor. The tractor entered a public road, colliding with hedges and fences. During the incident, Mr Priday, who was a passenger on the tractor, was ejected.
Paramedics attended the scene near Monks Lane and attempted to save Mr Priday, but he was pronounced deceased at 12.10am on 10 August. The cause of death was identified as a head injury resulting from the collision.
The accident took place on a country lane in the parish of Ashchurch, close to the site where the Severn Vale Vintage Club had held its annual show earlier that day. The event featured vintage vehicles, including tractors.
Following the incident, the show’s organisers cancelled the event’s second day. They later issued a statement on social media expressing gratitude for the support received from exhibitors, stallholders, and the public. The statement also extended sincere condolences to all those affected, particularly Mr Priday’s family and friends. The event resumed in 2026.
An initial police statement described the circumstances: “A man driving a tractor through fields collided with hedges and stationary vehicles around 11.25pm. The passenger, a man in his 50s, sustained serious injuries. Members of the public provided first aid at the scene.
“The driver, a man in his 20s, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while unfit through alcohol.”
Police have urged anyone who witnessed the incident and has not yet spoken to the authorities to come forward with information, referencing incident 591 of 9 August.