A WOMAN riding pillion on a motorbike died after the biker raced her stepbrother in "awful" weather conditions, a court heard.

Former Abertillery man Aaron Bridgeman, who had been driving a red Peugeot car, left the scene after the crash leaving his friend and stepsister in the road, the prosecution claimed.

Bridgeman, aged 35, who now lives at Lansbury Park in Caerphilly, denies one count of causing Claire Franklin's death by dangerous driving on December 23, 2013.

He is accused of zooming up Pandy Lane near Llanbradach, a winding, unlit road, in a red Peugeot along with biker Jason Szalkowski at around 5pm, when it was “pitch black”.

Prosecutor Ieuan Bennett said it had been raining heavily and a stream next to the road had burst its banks. Weather was so bad there had been a national alert, the court heard.

When the the vehicles reached the water they were unable to stop in time because they were travelling too quickly, he said.

Ms Frankin, known as Vicky, fell from the bike and landed on Bridgeman's windscreen, the court heard.

She then landed on the road where another car drove over her, the court heard.

Mr Bennett said it was impossible to say what finally killed Ms Franklin, 40, but said she would not have died if the race had not happened.

It was not in the public interest to bring charges against Mr Szalkowski as he was too seriously injured, the court heard.

Bridgeman denied racing, telling police he was travelling at a safe distance behind Mr Szalkowski, known to him as ‘Fatty’.

Mr Bennett said: "He misled police and lied to avoid taking responsibility for what he did.”

Robert Nash, a farmer from Hengoed, said a car and a motorbike overtook him at speed on the single lane road, before he caught up with them again later at the crash site.

“The car passed me and then the motorbike passed me, like they were on a racing track,” he said. “They just flew passed me. I thought to myself, ‘My god, that’s an accident waiting to happen.’ The speed they were travelling was totally unnecessary for that time of night.”

He said before driving into the lane he had seen the biker waiting outside leaning over the handlebars, “ready to take off’, but said he had not seen the red car at that point.

Mr Nash said he would never drive on that road again after the trauma of driving into the crash scene. At first he thought his 4x4 had hit a sheep because of the white fleecy hoodie Ms Franklin was wearing, but realised it was a human being after he saw the biker lying by the side of the road, his helmet pulled off in the force of the collision.

He immediately stopped his car. “I’m not afraid to say I panicked,” Mr Nash said. “I tried to dial 999 but I kept pressing 666.”

The defendant approached him and asked if he was calling the emergency services, then walked back to his car and drove away, the court heard.

Mr Nash said: “I thought, ‘You b****** - you left me to this’. He seemed calm, a lot calmer than I was. I said to the emergency services, ‘Just remember a red car’.”

The evening was very cold, Mr Nash said, and he covered Mr Szalkowski with his jacket after realising there was nothing he could do for the passenger, the court heard.

Another vehicle drove up but turned around after seeing the accident, Mr Nash said. After another car stopped, the two motorists blocked the road with their cars to protect the casualties.

Mr Nash said he did not remember seeing a flooded area on the road.

The court heard Bridgeman flagged down a police car in Abertillery later that evening and was then arrested.

In interview he said he had left the scene because he did not want to explain to police that he had borrowed the car he was driving and was not insured.

“Fatty and my sister were on the bike,” he said. “I was nowhere near when it happened. There was water everywhere. I didn’t do it. I checked her but she was out.”

Proceeding.