An Adelaide family has told a court of their ongoing trauma and fears of being shot after a two-day police manhunt for gunman Jake Lloyd Dohnt on the Yorke Peninsula ended when he crashed into their car in 2018.

Key points: A family's traumatic victim impact statement was read to the court

A family's traumatic victim impact statement was read to the court Daniel and Michelle Arthur and their two young children were in the car which Dohnt crashed into at Port Wakefield

Daniel and Michelle Arthur and their two young children were in the car which Dohnt crashed into at Port Wakefield Dohnt was high on ice in the days before he crashed during a police chase

Dohnt is awaiting sentencing in the District Court over the siege at Wallaroo and subsequent police chase in July 2018.

Last September, he pleaded guilty to endangering life, driving dangerously to escape police and threatening to cause harm.

Dohnt — who was under the influence of ice — pulled an imitation firearm on a police officer, who fired a shot in his direction, which sparked a manhunt across Wallaroo.

Parts of the town were declared a danger zone, before Dohnt was arrested at gunpoint near Port Wakefield two days later after crashing into a car during a police chase.

Prosecutor Alex Rathbone today read victim impact statements from road users Daniel and Michelle Arthur, who had been on holiday in Kadina when they became caught up in the police chase.

"I have nightmares thinking about what we, as a family, have experienced," Mr Arthur, 35, wrote in his statement.

"My immediate actions following the car crash was lifting my son out of his window, which was smashed to pieces, while also dripping my own blood caused by the accident.

"I then lifted my nine-month-old daughter out of her car seat while dripping my own blood on her.

Dohnt pulled a gun on police while high on ice in 2018. ( ABC News )

"My wife screamed as our car started clicking and feared what this may mean — our car may explode.

"I now have flashbacks of the accident — sounds of my family and I screaming for fear of our life, and the sound of the immediate impact, metal crunching and us rolling.

"My day-to-day life is now filled with, 'what ifs' — what if you took away my life or that of my family.

"Some days my mind is inundated with these thoughts, overloaded and a constant reminder of what occurred that day."

Mr Arthur stated that the family used to holiday at Kadina regularly but hadn't been back since the crash.

In her statement, Ms Arthur, 37, wrote that the family was discussing where to stop and what to have for dinner when the collision happened.

"One memory that stays with me is trying to work out whose blood was on our nine-month-old daughter — her or her father's — and convincing our son it was OK to get out of his smashed window," she stated.

"Following the accident, our conversations with our son turned from, 'how was your day at school' to, 'no, that car approaching us at the school crossing won't crash into us like that other one did'.

"The impact of the crash blew our back tyre off — it was found over 100 metres down the road.

"One of my first thoughts after our car had rolled that day was that, 'I hope you aren't going to shoot us'."

Dohnt intentionally crashed into car, claims prosecutor

Ms Rathbone told the court that Dohnt sent his girlfriend text messages before the crash which stated he would die.

She submitted that Dohnt deliberately drove into the path of the Arthur's car.

But Nick Vadasz, for Dohnt, disputed that submission, saying his client has maintained he did not intend to crash and he had limited control of his car because it had been twice spiked by police.

He said his client understood the "enormity of his actions" and was remorseful.

The case was adjourned until next week.