Trevor Drummond watched as Jodie Contacolli's vehicle ran into the back of his father's car on Greta Road at Laceby on June 13.

Mr Drummond said it appeared she still had her foot on the accelerator after the crash.

He said he realised as the Nissan Navara driven by Contacolli approached his father's FJ Holden, near the entry to Wangaratta Airport, that it wasn't slowing down.

The impact was "like an army tank" hitting the back of the Holden, with the Nissan driving onto the roof of the older car, collapsing the roof and forcing the front seats forward.

The rear seats were destroyed.

Mr Drummond told the Wodonga County Court on Wednesday he had run over to his father's Holden.

Neither his dad, Jamie, or his dad's passenger, Peter Turner, had a pulse.

The car was so crumpled that he couldn't see the pair when he first looked.

The incident was also witnessed by Trevor's two daughters.

"I ran over to the car straight away to slightly open the door," Mr Drummond recalled.

"I couldn't see anyone in the car.

"My first instinct was to yell and scream at my kids who were watching to go away, run up the road."

He said the other driver's vehicle was still running and quite loud.

"I thought she still had her foot on the accelerator," Mr Drummond said.

Contacolli has pleaded not guilty to two charges of dangerous driving causing death over the crash.

Mr Dummond was asked about the brake lights and indicators on the vehicle, which was being tested at the airport ahead of being registered.

He said the right indicator had been on and while he couldn't see the brake lights, they had been working.

"Yes, they were both functioning," he said.

He guessed the Nissan had been about 100 to 150 metres behind his father's car when his father's car started to slow.

Mr Drummond had to take a break while giving evidence on Wednesday after becoming emotional recalling the incident.

IN OTHER NEWS:

He had seen the Nissan approaching his father's car and said while the lead up to the crash only lasted seconds, it felt like an eternity.

"I can't express how quickly it happened and the thoughts that went through the head at that time," he said.

A woman who arrived at the scene moments after the crash said a "very upset" woman in the crashed car, who said her name was Jodie, told her she had been distracted.

Her baby in a child seat in the back of the car had blood on her chin but was quiet and didn't seem to be injured.

Mechanical engineer Joseph Azzopardi had been testing the Holden at the airport before the crash and revealed he had been due to travel in the car instead of Mr Turner.

He said another vehicle he was due to test arrived early so he instead focused on that car, instead of getting into the Holden.

Mr Azzopardi was asked about the brake lights and indicators on the Holden.

He said they were lights that complied with modern safety standards and were "quite bright".

"Everything was working how it should for a normal vehicle," he said.

The Holden had been tested for about 30 to 40 minutes and was being driven along Greta Road to cool down.

Nearby resident Bill McIntyre had been watching the Holden in the lead-up to the accident and said it was "just going along nice and quiet" but stopped on Greta Road a few minutes before the crash.

He left his Greta Road home moments before the crash and was asked what he heard.

"Kaboom, and loud," he replied.

Mr McIntyre did a U-turn and drove north to the scene and saw the Holden had done a 180-degree turn after the impact.

The trial before Judge Michael Cahill continues.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: