Tooborac collision ute driver identified as Junortoun man

A 42-year-old man from Junortoun was the victim, Victoria Police said.

UPDATED July 12, 5.13pm: The Northern Highway is expected to be closed for "many hours" while emergency services assess a hazardous chemical spill after a fatal collision near Tooborac on Wednesday afternoon.

A hazmat team is at the crash site where a yet-to-be formally identified driver was killed when a ute and a truck travelling in opposite directions between Heathcote and Tooborac collided just before midday on July 12.

"Unfortunately, the hazardous materials is causing a time delay in our response," Inspector Michael Layton, from Victoria Police Eastern Division Region 3, said.

Inspector Layton said once the scene had been marked safe personnel from the heavy vehicle unit and highway patrol would investigate the cause of the crash.

"All hazardous materials require an assessment. And that assessment is occurring now by the specialists who are best in the field," he said.

While Inspector Layton said it was too early point to a cause, he stressed the police's "ever constant" road safety message.

"Every fatal is one too many," Inspector Layton said.

"We understand that those impacts strike the core of communities and it's the grief and the loss for the families.

"It's a difficult time for the first responders that that were traveling the road at the time who did a great job today in their efforts.

"But unfortunately, we've lost the life of one person."

Inspector Layton said it was also too early in the investigation to tell if charges would be laid.

Police confirmed the truck driver was air lifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

UPDATED 1.35pm: A person has died following a vehicle collision at Tooborac on Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency services responded to reports a truck and a car had collided on the Northern Highway just before midday.

The driver of the truck was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

OTHER NEWS:

The driver of the ute was yet to be formally identified.

Police said the exact cause of the collision is being investigated and the highway north and southbound will be closed "for some time".

EARLIER: Emergency services are attending a road accident at the Northern Highway, between Heathcote and Tooborac.

Five CFA units alongside SES were responding to a vehicle incident at Tooborac at around 12pm.

Crews discovered an incident that involved a B-double truck and a ute, according to a representative from CFA.

Units responded from Heathcote, Costerfield, and Tooborac, and Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police were on scene.

The Bendigo Advertiser understands the highway is blocked in both directions.

The incident was ongoing.

MORE TO COME.

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