UPDATE:
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Police and emergency services were called to a head-on crash on the Mitchell Highway about 25 kilometres south of Wellington at about 9.20am.
Police discovered that a sedan and a 4WD towing a caravan had come together on the highway head-on, with an elderly man trapped in the sedan.
The occupants of the 4WD escaped with minor injuries. SES and Fire and Rescue NSW managed to free the man from the sedan. Shortly after being released it is thought that the man suffered a heart attack.
Depsite emergency personnel performing CPR, the man has died. The name of the deceased man has not been released. Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
The south-bound-lane of the Newell Highway is blocked and police are utilising the north-bound-lane to allow traffic to pass the location using contra-flow traffic management. At this time police crime scene unit is on scene collecting evidence and photographing the scene.
Police have urged people wishing to travel on the Mitchell Highway between Orange and Wellington to postpone their trip for a few hours or travel along the Burrendong Way.
"The unfortunate death of the man this morning brings the total number of persons to have lost their lives on NSW Roads in the last 48 hours to seven,” Orana Mid-Western Police District Inspector Dan Skelly said.
“We appeal to road users everywhere to be patient, don't take risks, don't speed, and don't use your mobile phone whilst driving. The biggest killers on our roads is speed and distraction,” he said.
Earlier:
POLICE and other emergency services are on the scene of a fatal crash on the Mitchell Highway.
The incident occurred just before 9.30am on Thursday near Bakers Swamp, about 25 kilometres south of Wellington.
It is unknown at this stage if more than one person died in the crash.
Live Traffic reported at about 11.30am that traffic was affected in both directions, with stop-slow traffic management systems in place.
NSW police have said that over the past two days seven people have now lost their lives in five separate crashes across the state.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, of the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, said the losses must serve as a reminder for people to take personal responsibility for their actions.
“To lose seven lives in the course of two days on our roads is nothing short of a tragedy,” assistant commissioner Michael Corboy said.
“Seven more lives lost means that we have now lost 199 lives on our roads in 198 days this year.
“With the school holidays coming to an end and more people on our roads, drivers need to pay attention to ensure they arrive at their destination safety.”
