A WOMAN was killed and her husband is fighting for his life after their powerful motorcycle collided with a car and a van.

An hour later a second rider died when another 1100cc machine hit a car less than three miles away.

Stanley Wheatcroft, 62, and his wife Linda, 45, of Grimshaw Street, Great Harwood, were thrown in different directions and their 1100cc Honda Blackbird CBR machine was split in two in the smash.

The couple were heading towards Gisburn on the A59 when the smash happened just outside Sawley near Castile Abattoir.

Mrs Wheatcroft, who was the pillion passenger, suffered multiple injuries when she was thrown off the bike and into the centre of the road. She later died in Blackburn Royal Infirmary.

Firefighters battled to free her husband who became trapped when he went under a blue Ford Transit van driven by Graham Rayner, 36, of Skipton, North Yorkshire. Mr Wheatcroft suffered multiple injuries in the crash and was "critical" in the intensive care unit at Blackburn Royal Infirmary today.

Police said the Transit van, which was heading towards Clitheroe, was making a right turn off the A59 when the accident happened at 9.55am yesterday.

The couple's riderless bike continued along the road and smashed into an oncoming Peugeot 205 car driven by Mark Stacey, 25, of Otley, West Yorkshire. The mangled wreckage of the bike was wedged under the car by the force of the impact, which split the bike in two. The car and van drivers escaped unhurt and the road was closed while the road was cleared.

Mr Wheatcroft, an engineer, was due to retire from work later this year. Linda had several part time jobs in Great Harwood.

Mr Wheatcroft's father, Stanley snr, won £93,000 on the pools in 1976, but died several years ago. His mother Ada now lives with his youngest brother in Inverness.

A neighbour said: "I'm devastated. It's a complete shock. We knew Stanley's parents for more than 50 years.

"Stanley and Linda must have been married about seven or eight years and we have known them all that time.

"They have always been lovely, smashing people who would do anything for you."

Just over an hour later another motorcyclist was killed in a head-on collision with a car after losing control of his bike just three miles away.

Paul McKeever, 43, failed to negotiate a left-hand bend at Rimington on the A682 Barrowford-Gisburn road as he travelled towards Gisburn.

It is understood Mr McKeever of Oldham, died instantly when his Suzuki 1100cc smashed into a Renault 19 driven by Anthony John Lynch of Bolton Road, Blackburn, at 11.15am yesterday morning.

Mr Lynch, his wife, Joan, 45, and children, Bianca, 5, Oliver, 7, Christopher, 13, were all treated at Blackburn Infirmary for whiplash injuries. Police closed the road for an hour after the tragedy.

A motorcyclist broke his leg in a collision with a car on the A59 between Clitheroe and Gisburn early today. The rider, who has not been named, was taken to Blackburn Royal Infirmary after the accident, before 8am.

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