Two men accused of manslaughter were allegedly driving at over 160km/h moments before the crash that killed Warrawong man Daniel Merrett two years ago, a jury has heard.
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Mr Merrett was killed in the early hours of May 18, 2019 when the Ford Territory he was a passenger in slammed into a fuel tanker on the Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail.
Darren Butler is accused of driving a silver Toyota Corolla that was allegedly chasing the Territory at high speed before the collision, while Andrew Russell is accused of firing a gun from the vehicle.
Both have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter; Butler has also been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death and two counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and Russell with firing a firearm in a public place.
The District Court heard on Monday that police asked forensic crash investigator Mark George to examine the Corolla's vehicle control history, the data of which is stored in the vehicle's airbag control module.
It recorded snapshots of what the vehicle was doing before and after certain triggers occurred, such as heavy braking or steering torque.
The court heard that 322 metres north of the crash site at Creole Road, the vehicle control history captured an event triggered by heavy braking.
At this point, the jury was told, the Corolla was travelling at 146km/h.
Mr George said the trigger occurred after braking had already started, and the seconds captured before this moment showed the vehicle had been travelling at 163 to 164km/h.
He said the Corolla was driving at this speed about 550 metres north of Creole Road.
The court heard the deceleration recorded was typical of panic or emergency braking.
Mr George said that when the vehicle's data was reconciled with CCTV footage of the crash, the Corolla braked down to about 50km/h as it travelled through the crash scene.
The jury heard that he wrote in his report the vehicle then sped up to 110 km/h, with the accelerator pedal applied 100 per cent.
In cross-examination, Mr George said he was not asked to analyse the fuel tanker nor the Ford Territory.
When Butler's defence counsel Bernadette O'Reilly asked if he would have preferred analysis of all three vehicles to give a complete picture of what occurred, he replied: "If it was my case I'd want to go that way, but I'm only one piece of the puzzle".
The trial continues.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
