The father of a five-year-old girl injured in a fatal high-speed crash in Adelaide has told a court his daughter drew her grandmother "on the way to heaven" shortly after the horror smash.
Father-of-two Peter Gee told the South Australian District Court that his family had lost a strong matriarch and would never be the same again.
His 80-year-old mother Jillian Gee died, and his daughter was injured, when the car they were travelling in was hit by drunk driver Anthony Herr at Birkenhead last October.
The 33-year-old has pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and is awaiting sentencing.
Peter Gee told Judge Emily Telfer that it was "ironic" his mother died in a crash as she was a remarkable driver who had never lost a demerit point.
"She had no chance of avoiding the impact," he said.
He said his mother "relished" the role of grandmother and was a huge support to his two children as she would do school pick-up and drop-offs.
Grandmother in picture with love hearts
Mr Gee said before the crash his daughter would always draw pictures of "her world" which included five people — herself, her little brother, her mother, her father and her grandmother.
"She doesn't draw pictures of our family anymore," he told the court.
"The final picture I have was drawn not long after the accident. At first look it shows our family back to four people.
"When I asked my daughter to explain the picture, she pointed out that granny is on the roof — on her way to heaven.
"The love hearts show her love travelling to heaven with her."
He said he hoped his daughter would forget the trauma of the crash with time but would never forget "her granny".
"Mum was a very special lady — she had a heart of gold," he said.
Steve Gee told the court that his mother had been robbed of so many special family moments.
Herr 'accepts full responsibility'
The court heard Herr was travelling more than 45 kph over the speed limit and had been drinking alcohol shortly before smashing into Ms Gee and her granddaughter.
"He accepts full responsibility for his actions," Herr's lawyer, Stacey Carter, told the court.
Reading a letter of apology, Herr told the Gee family he understood words would not change anything, but he was sorry for causing the crash.
"It makes me sick to my stomach — I feel like a monster. It's the biggest mistake of my life," he said.
Herr will be sentenced at a later date.
