Two drivers, one a woman, have gone on trial accused of racing their vehicles shortly before a crash which resulted in the death of an elderly woman passenger.

Prosecutor Jonathon Gibson told a jury at Bradford Crown Court yesterday that it was the Crown's case that Janine Scarfe and Sheldon Brooks had been "effectively racing, showing off and driving too close together".

Scarfe, 24, of Langdale Avenue, Wyke, lost control of her Vauxhall Corsa on a sweeping bend and after the vehicle veered on to the wrong side of Highmoor Lane, Brighouse, it struck a Peugeot 307 coming in the opposite direction.

Mr Gibson said 68-year-old Dawn Routledge, who was a front seat passenger in the Peugeot, suffered a fatal rupture of the heart as a result of the impact.

Scarfe, who had two other women in her car at the time of the crash in April 2004, was later found to have traces of cocaine and ecstasy in her blood.

She denied taking illegal drugs when she was questioned by police and said they must have been put in her drinks without her knowledge.

The jury was told that Scarfe had made an arrangement at a pub to meet up with factory worker Sheldon Brooks.

Scarfe's Corsa was driven to a lay-by on Walton Lane where Brooks arrived in a black Peugeot 306 with a work colleague.

Mr Gibson alleged that the two drivers drove at high speed along the road which is known locally as "the mad mile''.

The passenger in Brooks's car later claimed to have seen him reach a speed of 100mph before he slowed down as they approached the bend.

Brooks braked hard and was able to avoid the crash. Mr Gibson said he stopped and contacted the emergency services but then left the scene.

Brooks, 24, of Windmere Road, Carnforth, was not arrested until September last year and he accepted driving the black Peugeot at the time of the collision.

He told police the Corsa was being driven at up to 100mph and he was doing about 70mph, but he denied driving too close or racing with the other car.

Scarfe, who was herself injured in the crash, told police that she had been driving at about 60mph and the black Peugeot was very close behind her.

She said the Peugeot driver seemed to be trying to race with her and something happened to make the car spin.

Both Scarfe and Brooks have pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving and the trial is expected to last about five days.