A teacher has denied causing the death of a motorcyclist who was knocked off his machine as she allegedly pulled out into the fast lane of a dual carriageway.

Charlotte Huish was driving her Audi on the A380 at Kingsteignton in March last year when it collided with 72-year-old Terrence Knight as he overtook her.

Huish, aged 33, allegedly told other motorists at the scene ’I just did not see him’ but later gave a police interview in which she suggested Mr Knight may have drifted into her car.

Accident investigators found marks or scratches on the driver’s door of her car which they believe were made by the handlebars of the bike and the riders boot.

Mr Knight died in hospital four days after the accident but was able to tell police that the car had pulled out and hit him as he was passing it.

Huish, of Claremont Avenue, Kingskerswell, denies causing Mr Knight’s death by inconsiderate driving.

The jury at Exeter Crown Court were told she is a teacher, currently working in Torbay, but who has also worked at Ipplepen Primary and All Saints Marsh in Newton Abbot.

Mr Peter Coombe, prosecuting, said the accident happened on the A380 Exeter to Newton Abbot road on March 1, 2015 and led to the death of motorcyclist Mr Knight.

He said other drivers saw Huish’s Audi and Mr Knight’s motorcycle both gaining ground on a slow moving lorry. They saw the motorcycle, which was behind the Audi, pull out first to overtake and the car then move into the middle lane before hitting it at least once.

Mr Coombe said: ’The defendant pulled into the fast lane and made contact with the bike. Mr Knight lost control and crashed into the central reservation. He sustained injuries which caused his death.

’Our case is that she drove without reasonable consideration for other road users when she pulled out and this ultimately resulted in Mr Knight’s death.

’The defendant may say he was in her blind spot. Anyone who has or has not driven knows perfectly well that when manoeuvring into another lane the obligation is on the driver to do so safely and check before they do so.

’Our case is she failed in that standard and it had tragic consequences.’

Mr Coombe said Mr Knight remained conscious after the accident and told police what happened before he died.

He said: ’Mr Knight spoke to officers at the scene. He said he was riding up outside the car in lane one which indicated to come out but changed their mind. He thought it was okay to go ahead of her but she came across and hit me and pushed me into the barrier.’

Mr Coombe said Huish told a witness at the scene ’I just did not see him’ but in police interviews said the bike had hit her side mirror or swerved and crashed because she slowed down and he almost went into the back of her car.

He told the jury evidence from an examination of Huish’s car showed marks which corresponded to the height of the motorcycle’s handlebars on the driver’s door and Mr Knight’s boot on the side of the car.

The trial continues.