A motorist allegedly overtook a car at double the speed limit just moments before he struck into a 1

Paul Madley (30), of Grindrod Street, Radcliffe, has pleaded not guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at Bolton Crown Court.

At the start of his trial yesterday afternoon, the jury heard how Madley was driving a Toyota MR2 along Bolton Road and Natalie had been crossing the road with a friend when the collision took place at the junction with Canute Street.

Mr Paul McDonald, prosecuting, said Madley had overtaken a Peugoet at an estimated speed of 60mph when the speed limit on the road was 30mph.

The Toyota was seen on the wrong side of the road for some distance and swerved at a sharp angle as if out of control, but no brake lights were seen,

Mr McDonald said: "It seems that Natalie decided to cross and ran out into the carriageway but no-one can say if she saw the cars approaching from her left. She may have misjudged them if she had seen them.

The front of the car struck Natalie full on, throwing her into the highway and shattering the Toyota's windscreen."

The defendant, when interviewed by police, said that he had broken hard but had been unable to avoid hitting Natalie. He admitted driving over the speed limit, but said he thought he was driving between 40 and 50mph.

Mr McDonald said: "Natalie's action might have played a part, but the speed in itself was dangerous. The manner of the defendant's driving caused this collision and with it the untimely death of Natalie."

The prosecution had told how Natalie and her group of friends had congregated at a bus stop at the bottom of Ainsworth Road earlier in the evening.

Mr McDonald said: "The group often did this, and often took alcohol , not an uncommon feature these days. The group would also often persuade members of the public to go into shops and buy alcohol for them.

"Natalie might already have consumed alcohol that night as tests showed, following her death, that she was two times over the legal limit."

The trial continues.