U-turn led to fatal collision, court told

The 25-year-old gave evidence in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday, where the driver of the car, Stevee Renee Williams, 30, faces charges of careless driving causing death and injury.

Oliver Moreton, 22, died at the scene of the crash on Rugby Street on November 25, 2007, while Ms Stewart suffered leg injuries.

She was the pillion passenger on her boyfriend's 1000cc motorbike as they "cruised along" to Mr Moreton's grandmother's house to take her shopping on a hot Sunday, she told the court.

She felt safe with his driving, but there was no warning for what followed, she said.

"The only thing that was said was by Oli, when we first saw the car pull out he said, 'Oh no'. . . that's all that was said.

"I recall waking up on the road and heaps of people were yelling.

"It all happened so fast . . .there was no time at all."

Witness Phillipa Kimura said she watched from her parked car as Williams inched her way out of the park behind her to see past another van, before bringing the car around into a u-turn.

"I said to my daughter, 'Look at this dick blocking the view . . . there's a big white van parked behind you and you're trying to do a u-turn'.

"Personally, if it was me I would have gone up further because you could not see behind the van."

When the accident happened beside her car with an "almighty bang", Ms Kimura was first to call 111, she said.

Jason Waho had been waiting for a park outside a Rugby Street dairy to get icecream for his children when he watched the events unfold that "lazy Sunday".

When the car turned onto the road, the motorbike braked and locked its wheels, went up on the front wheels and "catapulted the girl over the car", he said.

Mr Waho apologised to Mr Moreton's mother as he described the 22-year-old's impact with the car - "I'm sorry you had to hear that".

The motorbike rider had just a few seconds to react, he said.

"I had nightmares for a long time, I did see it happen," he said to defence lawyer Phil Drummond during cross examination.

"It's something I seen mate. My three-year-old daughter saw it. Until this day she still tells me about it."

The hearing continues before Judge Alastair Garland today.