Getaway driver pleads guilty to his role after death of beloved dad

The daughter of a beloved father of four who was killed while on duty as a traffic controller in Carrum Downs still calls him hoping he will answer, court hears.

A grieving widow has told a Melbourne court of how her young daughter still called her father and sent him videos in the hope he would answer, nearly 18 months after he was killed at work on a Carrum Downs street.

One of the men involved in the incident, Ashley Luke Powell, 26, sat quietly in an off-site custody room as Tania Boyte spoke of her loss and anger over the way her partner of 10 years was taken from her

Timmy Rakei, 44, a father of four, died in November 2021 when he was struck by a Holden Commodore while he was on duty as a traffic controller at a road works site.

His colleague Shaun Kilmartin sustained serious injuries, but survived the crash on Hall Rd that claimed Mr Rakei’s life.

Timmy Rakei died in a hit-run crash in Carrum Downs. He has been remembered as an 'amazing uncle and father'. Picture: Supplied via NCA NewsWire

The pair of colleagues had set up flashing lights, signs and traffic diversions around the roadworks site that day.

The court was told the driver of the car that struck them had been driving erratically and at speeds between 95/105km/h in a 70km/h zone that had temporarily been lowered to 40km/h.

Powell, a former concreter and scaffolder from Carrum Downs, pleaded guilty to assisting the driver to flee police, destroy his clothing and evade detection for several hours after the crash.

Ms Boyte said that receiving the news of Mr Rakei’s death was the “worst experience” of her life.

“I feel like half of me went with him (when he died),” she said.

Prosecutor Jane Warren said Powell could not be held responsible for Mr Rakei’s death but his actions had aggravated the suffering felt by Mr Rakei’s family members.

“His actions have compounded that grief,” she said.

“Helping (the driver) to leave the scene and avoid police (has) also created more court appearances that Ms Boyte has attended.”

The court was told that Powell had answered a call from the speeding driver, who asked him for a lift.

Powell collected the driver in a black Hyundai.

A defence barrister for Powell said his client had believed the driver had only hit a tree and did not realise until sometime later that a fatality had occurred.

He said Powell moved to separate himself from the driver some hours later and eventually handed himself into police.

He conceded that Powell had helped the driver burn his clothing to avoid police detection.

The court was told Powell had a significant criminal history and was disqualified from driving on the day of the collision.

The court was told that Powell had the support of numerous family members and a job offer as a scaffolder for when he left prison.

Judge Gabriele Cannon adjourned the case for sentencing in July.