Jury discharged in road rage manslaughter trial after being unable to reach a verdict

The jury in the road rage trial of Tamate Heke has been discharged after failing to reach a majority verdict.

Jurors in the Brisbane Supreme Court deliberated for about 10 hours to determine if the New Zealand national, 38, was guilty of killing Shane Merrigan in a roadside confrontation on the Gateway Motorway on December 1, 2015.

The jury passed two notes to Justice Peter Applegarth this afternoon saying they had reached an impasse and then later that they were deadlocked.

Justice Applegarth told them the court would take a majority verdict of 11 to one but the jury was unable to reach that.

Mr Heke pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and the alternate charge of unlawful striking causing death.

Justice Applegarth thanked the jury for their service before dismissing them.

"It was a difficult case," he told them.

"You shouldn't think that because you have been unable to reach a verdict that you have failed ... on the contrary."

The jury was shown traffic camera footage depicting Heke throwing the punch at Merrigan, before the 50-year-old fell under the wheels of the oncoming garbage truck.

Mr Heke's defence barrister Anthony Kimmins last week said he was "a victim of road rage" and that pulling over for the confrontation was the worst mistake of his life.

A mention date for Mr Heke will now be set.