A driver who killed three teenage passengers had rammed another vehicle shortly before crashing into an on- coming lorry, a jury was told yesterday.

Adam Anguige, 25, is alleged to have been racing James Houston when the latter's Ford Fiesta collided with the lorry in September, 2006, killing Heckmondwike teenager Ursula Alokolaro, 16, and her two friends Natalie Donlan, 16, and 15-year-old Gemma Cost.

But yesterday Anguige's girlfriend, Nicola Eyles, told Bradford Crown Court their Nova car had been hit several times in the moments before the crash.

Miss Eyles claimed that the Fiesta initially bumped their car from behind before pulling alongside and ramming into them on two or three occasions.

"How frightened were you by what the driver of the other car was making his car do to you that night?"' asked Anguige's barrister, Peter Joyce QC.

"I thought I was going to die," said Miss Eyles. "I didn't know what was going to happen."

She said both of them were shocked by what was happening, and Anguige slowed down to let the Fiesta get away.

Miss Eyles said she then saw the lorry coming round the corner and the Fiesta just ploughed into it.

She told the jury that Anguige had parked up at the kerb and added: "We were both really panicking and then within seconds we ended up driving up to the business park."

Miss Eyles, who was supposed to have been looking after her parents' home while her family were away, said Anguige wanted to go back to the scene but she told him she wanted to go home.

They did eventually park up near the collision scene, but Miss Eyles claimed that a friend of Anguige's, whom she did not know, took her away in his car.

Although Anguige was himself arrested the next day, Miss Eyles admitted that she had not come forward as a witness.

When she was seen by police a few months later, she denied being there that night and only made a formal statement in January last year.

During questioning by Mr Joyce, Miss Eyles denied that her boyfriend had been "chasing" the Fiesta that night and said she would not let him drive stupidly with her in the car.

"If I'd have thought he was going after that car I would have made him stop and let me get out," she added.

Miss Eyles said Anguige looked frightened when their car was being hit by the Fiesta.

"None of us could believe what the car was doing to us and why," she said.

Miss Eyles maintained that Anguige had been saying he had to go back to the scene and that she had asked him to lie by saying she was not there.

Anguige, 25, of White Leaf Road, Batley, has denied three charges of causing death by dangerous driving.

Houston, 27, of Croft Cottage Lane, Huddersfield, was badly injured in the crash and another jury has already decided that his dangerous driving caused the deaths of the three girls.

The trial continues.