THE family of a Wagga man killed when a vehicle engaged in a high-speed street race crashed into his ute have shared powerful memories of him in court.
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Craig Smith, 53, died when a VE Commodore ploughed into his vehicle in Coleman Street on October 23, 2017. At the time, Mr Smith had been making a legal U-turn.
Two men - Joshua Aaron Byrne, 22, of Ashmont, and Matthew Thomas Cahill, 20, of Batlow - faced Wagga District Court on Friday for the first part of a sentencing hearing, after they had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Mr Smith's daughters Kailah Fraser and Jaimee Smith read their statements to the court. Mrs Fraser also read a statement written by her mother, Tania.
In her own statement, Mrs Fraser described the moment she found out about the incident.
"I did not wake up that day thinking my world would change in such a tragic way," she said.
Mrs Fraser described her father as the "rock" of her family and said he was the most kind and generous man she had ever met.
"He had so many friends because he never left anyone out and people were drawn to him," she said.
Mrs Fraser said her father had supported her family in everything they did.
The court heard the father-of-three regularly attended his children's sporting events.
Mr Smith even travelled to Melbourne to support Mrs Fraser as she ran in a marathon.
"We had the closest family unit and Dad was at the centre," Mrs Fraser said.
Mr Smith was described by his daughter as an amazing role model who helped his family through the difficult times in their lives.
Mrs Fraser, who now has a young son, told the court her father had missed out on grandchildren.
"He would have made the best poppy. He loved kids," she said.
"I will miss him every single day for the rest of my life."
Mrs Fraser's sister Jaimee Smith told the court she had relived the events "over and over again".
She said when she received a call from a work colleague of her father's she had initially thought it was Mr Smith, calling to say he had forgotten his mobile phone.
"Every day I remember that fact that Dad isn't here when he should be," Miss Smith said in her statement.
She said her father had supported her "100 per cent in every way" and she was now trying to do this for the rest of her family.
"At 25, trying to step into his footsteps is something a daughter shouldn't have to do at such a young age," she said.
"There are so many things I am yet to experience in my life that I won't have my dad for.
"So many people were affected by the loss of the amazing man I got to call Dad."
The charges against Byrne and Cahill were adjourned until March 16 in Wagga District Court.
Judge Gordon Lerve on Friday told the court he had formed some preliminary views on a possible sentence.
He described Byrne and Cahill's actions as an extremely dangerous course of conduct that had led to the death of an innocent person.
Judge Lerve revoked Byrne's bail. Cahill's had been revoked at a previous court appearance.
In a statement by Mr Smith's wife, Mrs Smith described her husband as her soulmate. The couple had been together for 35 years.
Mrs Smith wrote that the future she and her husband had planned together was gone.
The couple had planned to travel and grow old while sharing a life with their adult children and grandchildren.
"He loved children. He was going to be the best grandfather ever," Mrs Smith wrote.
"I miss him every single minute."
The court heard the Smiths had worked together for many years and ate lunch together most days.
Mr Smith also regularly attended the gym sessions his wife was instructing.