The girlfriend of a British Superbikes rider who was killed in a horrific 11-bike smash has suffered a double tragedy after also losing her previous boyfriend in a motorcycle crash nine years ago.

Former grid girl Hannah James, 25, lost her boyfriend Shane Richardson, 29, after he died alongside Owen Jenner, 21, following a devastating multi-bike collision at the very first turn of Monday's race at Oulton Park, Cheshire. 

The shocking crash, captured live on television, showed one rider lose control exiting Turn One - Old Hall Corner - before skidding across the tarmac and into the path of other competitors.

What followed was a terrifying chain reaction, with 11 bikes piling into each other and one catching fire as medics rushed to the scene.

Among the fatalities was Mr Richardson, who leaves behind two children and his partner, Ms James. In a poignant tribute, she updated her profile picture with a photo of the pair, beaming at the camera with their son and daughter.

In a tragic twist, this is the second time Ms James has lost a boyfriend during a motorcycle race. Her former partner, Billy Redmayne, died in a crash at the Oliver's Mount Spring Cup in North Yorkshire in 2016.

Mr Redmayne was airlifted to hospital, but his brain injuries were too severe to recover from, and he passed away surrounded by his loved ones, including Ms James, aged just 25. 

In 2016, Mr Richardson had shared a photo of himself, Ms James and Mr Redmayne in a tribute after the biker's death. Mr Richardson would later go on to start dating Ms James, who has now lost two motorcycle partners in less than a decade. 

Monday's tragic crash was shown on live TV, but the Oulton Park event was subsequently cancelled as medical personnel rushed to the scene.

Tom Tunstall, 47, was rushed to Royal Stoke University Hospital with significant back and abdominal injuries. Five other riders were treated for minor injuries at the track, while three more escaped unharmed. 

Shortly after the incident, the Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board and MotorSport Vision Racing released a statement confirming that Mr Richardson and Mr Jenner had died from the injuries they sustained.

The statement read: 'At the start of this afternoon’s Quattro Group British Supersport Championship race at Oulton Park, exiting turn one, Old Hall corner on the first lap, there was a chain reaction incident involving 11 riders falling.

'The race was immediately stopped, and trackside medical services deployed.

'Due to the extreme severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention, the remainder of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship event was cancelled.

'This catastrophic accident has tragically resulted in two riders being fatally injured and another sustaining significant injuries.

'The Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board and MotorSport Vision Racing are investigating the full circumstances of the incident in conjunction with the Coroner and Cheshire Constabulary.'

As Ms James grieves the tragic loss of her boyfriend, Mr Richardson's heartbreaking final social media post has been revealed.

The New Zealand-born rider had posted an adorable video of him pushing his daughter along on a bike inside their house.

The father-of-two captioned the post: 'I dunno where he’s picked this up from but it sure ain’t me.'

He had also taken to Instagram to share an interview as he expressed his excitement for Monday's race.

He said: 'Sprint race was good. Bad start, went backwards quite a few positions.

'But we managed to figure it out, get some good consistent pace going, matching the times with a few of the boys ahead of us.

'So yeah, looking forward to tomorrow, hopefully get a better start and be a bit more in the mix.' 

In addition to the motorsport authorities conducting an investigation, Cheshire Constabulary have also launched their own probe. 

'Police are investigating two deaths on behalf of the coroner following a multiple collision at Oulton Park this afternoon - Monday 5 May,' a police spokesperson said.

'Emergency services were called to the scene following the collision which resulted in two riders being fatally injured and another with serious injuries.

'Due to the severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention, the remainder of the event was cancelled. The two riders who sadly died have been named as Owen Jenner (21) and Shane Richardson (29).

'The Motorcycle Circuit Racing Control Board and MotorSport Vision Racing are investigating the full circumstances of the incident in conjunction with the Coroner and Cheshire Police.'