Steve and Wendy Maddison

19 November 2000

It is with profound sadness that we learn of the deaths of Wendy and Steve Maddison, following a tragic road accident on the hard shoulder (emergency lane) of the A1(M) in North Yorkshire on the afternoon of 11/11/00.

Steve and Wendy were an immensely popular couple on the Land Rover scene, building up their successful business, Maddison 4x4, from scratch into one of the UK's leading independent four-wheel-drive specialists. What Steve Maddison didn't know about Land Rovers simply wasn't worth knowing.

Steve was involved with the Ibex from the very beginning, and John Foers tells the story of their initial meeting:- "The first Ibex, 4F001, was up in the Scottish Borders being tested at an off-road site. Suddenly I saw my vehicle being driven towards me by a complete stranger, and I was a little annoyed by this. The chap then got out and started heaping praise on the Ibex; he was just so enthusiastic and sincere it was impossible not to like the man. It rather took the wind out of my sails. That man was Steve and over the years his valued input has probably influenced me to the extent that you could say there is a bit of Steve Maddison in every Ibex."

Steve's off-roading skills were legendary, and he competed at the very top of the "Premier League". Partnering Neil Redpath, Steve had a cupboard full of trophies - several Warn Challenge 1sts, two high placed finishes on the Webster, and many podium places on the Bulldog including 1st Specials Class on the 1999 event. Sharp-witted and permanently primed and ready with a one-liner, Steve was without doubt one of the most likeable guys on the event circuit. Always available to lend a hand, he simply couldn't drive past a fellow competitor who might be stuck, broken down or struggling. For Steve, there was much more to eventing than winning. It was his club and his community.

The accident, on Saturday 11th November, occurred just three weeks after Steve finished in 4th place overall on this year's Bulldog Trophy. Indeed, had the team not forfeited all it's accrued points on the night section, by arriving just 4 minutes late at Control, then Steve would have picked up 2nd place overall to add to his already impressive trophy collection.

I think one of Steve's proudest moments was at Elvington Airfield in May this year, as he watched the Maddison-built Ibex 6x6 Airport Crash Tender during it's awesome speed trials. I was privileged to be there and record the event on film and video. Many of you will have seen this impressive vehicle at Billing, so you can probably imagine his pride at seeing it thunder past at 80mph.

In the end it was Steve and Wendy's compassion towards others that cost them their own lives. Whilst trying (with another Good Samaritan) to rescue four people trapped in an overturned car on the hard shoulder of the A1, they were hit at speed by an articulated lorry. In total six people lost their lives at the scene and a seventh victim is critically injured in intensive care.

Steve and Wendy were a couple devoted to each other, and if there is any solace at all to be had from this dreadful accident, it is that they were dispatched together and, we believe, without suffering.

Their much adored German Shepherd dog "Quarry" survived in the Range Rover and is now being cared for by Wendy's brother.

The funeral service will take place on Thursday 23rd at 11:45am in St.Mary's Church, Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

Steve and Wendy Maddison - they will be very sadly missed.

Later...

The funeral service took place on Thursday 23rd in a packed St. Mary's Church at Thirsk, North Yorkshire. In keeping with the wishes of the next of kin, the cortege left Maddison 4x4 followed by a motorcade of off-road vehicles representing all corners of the United Kingdom. The convoy was over two kilometres long, comprising of seventy five 4x4's, many of them event prepared motors, and twelve cars in addition to the funeral cars. Escorted by two police traffic cars and several motorcycle outriders, all road junctions en-route were closed and a police helicopter monitored progress from above.

Predictably, and entirely appropriately, the historic market town of Thirsk was brought to a complete standstill as the convoy arrived, with shop and office workers apparently watching the spectacle from first and second floor windows.

It was a fitting tribute for an irreplaceable couple. Steve and Wendy Maddison - they will be very sadly missed.

- Peter Bradley

Also see [court case].

Go to the Foers pages