A woman who was reunited with her childhood sweetheart after more than 20 years has spoken of her sadness at his death in a road accident just two months after they rekindled their love.

Devastated Odette Lewis, 46, met her “soul mate” Stephen Summers when she was a teenager but split from him eight years later after giving birth to their son, Jordan. The pair rekindled their romance 16 months ago, but Mr Summers died on November 8, 2010 after his motorbike was hit by a car overtaking a wagon in the dark and rain.

Miss Lewis said: “I thought it was forever this time. We made plans for Christmas together and we were going to have a party for Jordan’s 21st birthday in June this year. He was the love of my life and he got taken away from me. I don’t think I will ever get over losing Steve.”

Mr Summers, 55, of Staveley Way, Keighley, died on the A59 near Skipton when a Ford Mondeo driven by Hungarian national Roland Kadas-Tar, smashed in to the front of his black Kawasaki bike.

Kadas-Tar, 33, was jailed on December 30 for four-and-a-half years for causing the death of Mr Summers.

Miss Lewis, who runs The Filling Station cafe in Shipley and Esquire and Madam hairdressers in Cottingley, said Mr Summers was riding his motorbike to work at Silentnight the morning he died because his car had broken down.

She added: “I told him to take my car because the weather was bad but he said no and that he would be all right. But he wasn’t, was he?

“I heard the radio saying the A59 was shut. I never thought about it until his cousin called me at 6.40am to say he had died.”

Miss Lewis and Mr Summers met in the early 80s when she worked at a hairdressers in Oakworth. He asked her out several times before she agreed to go on a date.

The couple parted shortly after their son was born and went on to marry other people. Mr Summers remained in contact with Miss Lewis and Jordan, but it wasn’t until he returned from a year working in Canada in 2010 that they got back together.

Miss Lewis said: “It was just like when we first met. He was my soul mate. Even when I was married to another man for ten years I still loved Steve.

“I have never loved anybody the way I loved him. I am devastated. The court case brought it all back. I am heartbroken and miss him so much.”