For future reliable numerical simulations of impact wear on steel structures caused by rock material, knowledge about the dynamic mechanical properties of rock material is required. This paper describes the experimental and numerical work to investigate the dynamic mechanical properties of diabase (dolerite), a subvolcanic rock material. In this study, diabase from southern Sweden was used. The impact compressive strength of diabase with a density of 2.63 g/cm³ was examined by using the split-Hopkinson pressure bar (Kolsky bar) method. Cylindrical specimens were used, with a diameter of 8.9 mm and a length of 14 mm. To characterise the rock material, uniaxial compression tests were performed, at high strain rates (150 s^-1). Using an inverse modelling approach, material parameters for an elastic constitutive model, with a stress-based fracture criterion were determined. The constitutive model was used in a finite element simulation of a high strain rate uniaxial compression test. Results obtained from the numerical model were in line with the experimental results.