Young farmer tragically killed in Polaris Ranger UTV crash

A farming family has paid tribute to their “beautiful, kind and lovely” teenage son, after he was tragically killed in a UTV crash on a farm in Lancashire.

Officers from Lancashire Police were called to Extwistle Road at 12.41am on 30 March, following reports that a Polaris Ranger UTV had left the carriageway and crashed in a field.

No other vehicles were involved in the incident. 

See also: Top farming safety tips from Farmers Weekly readers

Hector Eccles © Lancashire Constabulary

The driver, 16-year-old Hector Eccles from Worsthorne, sadly did not survive his injuries. His passenger, a 17-year-old man from Burnley, was not seriously injured.

In a tribute to the young farmer, Hector’s family wrote: “We would like to thank everyone for the kind words and sympathy over the past few days.

“This is our Hector on his farm with his animals, where he loved to spend his time.

“Always happiest on the farm, at Gisburn Auction, or with his friends and colleagues in Pendle Young Farmers.

“Hector will always be in our hearts and minds; we will always remember our beautiful, kind and lovely boy.”

Sgt Martin Wilcock, from the Lancashire Road Policing Unit, said: “This collision has resulted in a teenager losing his life and my thoughts remain with Hector’s loved ones at this difficult time.

“Having carried out extensive work to establish the circumstances of what led to the collision, we are satisfied that this is no longer a criminal investigation and we are now carrying out enquiries on behalf of the Coroner.

“With that in mind, I would ask any witnesses or anyone with dashcam covering the area around that time to contact the police.

“A family is grieving and I would ask the public – particularly those on social media – not to engage in any unhelpful, unnecessary and hurtful speculation.”