Headlights last thing seen before crash, court told

Tony Worrell. Photo / Greg Bowker

The last thing Brett Robinson saw before a collision with murder-accused Tony Worrell was car headlights coming straight towards him, a court heard yesterday.

The Karaka man was driving his sons home from football training on June 3 last year when he saw a vehicle in front of him suddenly swerve to the left.

"The car in front of me swerved quite severely to the left and then to the right and I saw the tail lights move that way.

"At that point alarm bells rang," he said.

It was then he saw the lights from Worrell's car coming towards him in his lane, Mr Robinson told the High Court at Auckland.

"There was no deviation in the lights whatsoever ... The lights were heading straight towards me."

Worrell, 50, is accused of murdering newlywed Katie Powles, 26, by allegedly ploughing his vehicle into her as she was driving home from work.

Ms Powles was travelling immediately behind Mr Robinson's car.

Worrell also faces four charges of attempting to cause intentional damage and one of causing grievous bodily harm to Mr Robinson.

He denies the charges.

Mr Robinson said he knew he had been hit when he heard an "almighty bang".

"He hit me, it went very dark, like being suspended in space and being turned around like in a washing machine."

When the car stopped rolling he was lying with his back against the roof, in pain and unable to breathe. He could hear his sons yelling.

Mr Robinson received a broken pelvis, leg and arm in the crash.

The trial continues.

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA