A TEEN killed in a crash at the hands of a drunken car thief texted a friend saying she was going to die, a court heard.

Ebony Dunsworth, 16, had got in a car driven by Timothy Watson after a party, the County Court was told.

As Watson drove erratically, speeding and with music blaring, she texted friend Amelia Campbell: "LOL, I'm going to die."

Director of Public Prosecutions John Champion, QC, told the court Watson was driving a stolen black Nissan Pulsar at 137km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Princes Highway at Nar Nar Goon.

He was forced to brake heavily, sending the car across a roundabout and rolling it several times.

Ebony was thrown out, but the car crushed her.

Mr Champion said Watson, whose blood alcohol reading was 0.139, had skidded off the road earlier and had been asked to slow down.

He said Watson should be jailed for 6 1/2 to 10 1/2 years.

The maximum penalty for culpable driving is 20 years.

Judge Frank Gucciardo noted the heartfelt sorrow in victim impact statements submitted, and said he would take account of them.

But he warned relatives and friends of Ebony in the courtroom that regardless of the sentence, the legal system was not a process designed to give them "comfort" and "closure".

Judge Gucciardo said he recognised the human toll, but the court process was "designed to deal with issues of criminality".

Watson, 23, of Cairnlea, pleaded guilty to culpable driving, two charges of negligent driving causing serious injury, and car theft over the tragedy in October.

Passengers Joshua Spierings and Daniel Gibson were also hurt in the crash.

Mr Champion said that shortly after Ebony sent the text, Watson stopped at a McDonald's in Pakenham, where he did burnouts before racing off at up to 100km/h in a 40km/h zone.

Watson will be sentenced on July 27.