Lightning struck twice in tragic circumstances for the girlfriend of a British Superbikes rider who died at Oulton Park on Monday. Hannah James - bereaved partner of Shane Richardson - received the heart-breaking news that he had perished from his injuries nine years after she lost her then-boyfriend, Billy Redmayne, in a separate motorcycle crash.

Chaos unfolded at the first corner of the British Supersport Championship race in Cheshire this week, with two riders dying and another sustaining serious injuries in a horrific 11-bike pile-up. Richardson, 29, died of severe chest injuries en route to Royal Stoke University Hospital, while 21-year-old Owen Jenner was pronounced dead at the circuit after suffering a catastrophic head injury.

Richardson - a New Zealander who raced for the Astro-JJR Hippo Suzuki team - is survived by his partner, Ms James, and their two young children.

This is the second time Ms James - a former grid girl - has lost a partner during a race. Nine years ago, her boyfriend at the time, Redmayne, suffered a serious brain injury at the Oliver's Mount Spring Cup in North Yorkshire. He was airlifted to hospital but died aged 25 while surrounded by his loved ones.

Richardson was among those to pay tribute at the time as he posted a picture of himself, Redmayne and Ms James on Instagram captioned: "How quickly it all can change. I'll never forget the short-lived time we shared both racing, and getting the most drunk I've ever been! RIP Billy, ride on up there."

Monday's tragic accident means that Ms James has now lost two partners to motorbike crashes in the space of a decade. The first-corner pile-up at Oulton Park was shown on live TV, with medical personnel scrambling to the scene and organisers subsequently cancelling the race altogether.

Fans are waiting for further updates on the condition of Tom Tunstall, who is receiving treatment at Royal Stoke University Hospital for 'significant back and abdominal injuries'.

The circumstances around the crash are being looked into by Cheshire Constabulary, who wrote: "Police are investigating two deaths on behalf of the coroner following a multiple collision at Oulton Park. Emergency services were called to the scene following the collision which resulted in two riders being fatally injured and another with serious injuries.

"Due to the severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention, the remainder of the event was cancelled. The Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board and MotorSport Vision Racing are investigating the full circumstances of the incident in conjunction with the Coroner and Cheshire Police."