The ex-partner of a man badly injured in a crash is accused of trying to kill him after he claimed she twice grabbed the wheel of his station wagon, the second time sending it head-on into a Toyota Surf Hilux.

Maxine Avlon Paul, 58, from Waihi, whose trial began in the Rotorua High Court yesterday has pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempting to murder Mark Marion Bickley.

She has also denied two charges of dangerous driving causing injury in relation to a Hamilton couple Ciaran Dunn and Zoe Rothnie were also injured in the crash.

The charges against Paul relate to a collision on State Highway 2 at Aongatete near the BOP RV Sales Limited store on January 7 last year.

The jury heard that on the day of the crash the couple had driven from Waihi to Whangamata and also visited friends in Opoutere.

On the return journey home between Tauranga and Katikati, the pair began arguing about Bickley's decision not to allow Paul to stay In Whangamata drinking with friends.

Bickley told the court that without warning Paul grabbed the steering wheel and tried to turn his station wagon into the path of an oncoming logging truck.

At the time Bickley said he was travelling at about 80 km/h and managed to regain control of the vehicle and avoided a collision with the truck.

Paul and Bickley had both been drinking that day but Bickley was found to be under the adult legal limit and Paul just over, the court heard.

But a few seconds later Bickley said Paul again grabbed the steering wheel with more force this time and told him she was "going to kill us".

The vehicle then crossed the centreline and veered straight into the path of an oncoming Toyota Surf Hilux, the jury heard.

Bickley said moments before the collision, Paul had been "very grumpy" and annoyed that they had not stayed in Whangamata so she could continue drinking with her friends.

"The scary thing was just before Maxine grabbed the wheel the second time and held on with more force this time, she told me she was going to kill us," he said.

"It happened so suddenly I didn't even have time to try and gain control and I remember the Hilux instantly hitting us," he said.

"I remember it flying over the station wagon and rolling a number of times. The next thing I remember was getting out and looking around and one of fire guys told me to sit down."

Bickley also said Paul, who was still sitting injured in the passenger seat, told him that she had caused the crash but she did not apologise for doing so.

Paul, who also hospitalised after the crash, told police she had no memory of the crash when she was interviewed a month later, the court heard.

Both vehicles were extensively damaged.

Bickley suffered two fractured ribs and was hospitalised for four days, the court heard.

When Paul's lawyer Bill Nabney put it to Bickley that he had made the allegations up to shift the blame for the crash to the accused, he vehemently denied it.

He also rejected a suggestion that he had drunk more than two cans of alcohol during the almost seven hour-long trip and his recall of the events was not reliable.

The couple in the other vehicle were also injured.

The driver of the Hilux ute sustained a laceration to his head and bruising about his body.

His partner still has ongoing problems after being concussed and suffered hearing loss.

The trial being presided over by Justice Rebecca Edwards is expected to take five days and continues today.