A man was thrown through the canvas pop-up roof of his Toyota Hiace and killed after a collision on the Sturt Highway on Wednesday afternoon.
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The Hiace was travelling east when, as it came around a bend near Carrathool, it was clipped by an on-coming Holden Epica sedan, Inspector John Wadsworth from Griffith police said.
"The front offside of the vehicle has collided with the rear of the Toyota," Inspector Wadsworth said.
"It appears the driver of the Hiace has lost control, was ejected through the roof of the van, which was a canvas pop-up, and has died.
"The driver of the Epica has been taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing."
The crash, which occurred around 4.20pm on a bend 60 kilometres east of Hay, near the Carrathool turn-off, caused the closure of the highway for almost 12 hours.
Detectives established a crime scene as forensic services personnel combed the crash site.
Paramedics from Hay and Coleambally and Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Services volunteers were also in attendance.
The Hiace driver was found deceased when paramedics arrived, NSW Ambulance's Hay station manager Robert Marmont said.
"The three others in the car, they were not injured ... very lucky," Mr Marmont said.
No further details are known about the van driver, beyond being identified as a man. The vehicle is believed to be registered in South Australia.
The family from the sedan are from Hay.
A Roads and Maritimes Services staff member who was one of the first at the scene, said he and his team were on their way home to Hay when they came across the crash.
"We were heading home from Leeton, where we've just done a two-day course for road traffic management," the man said.
He said two cars had collided near the Carrathool Road turn-off.
"It doesn't look good," he said.
"There were civilians at the scene, trying to help."
Diversions around the crash site were established to allow for traffic flow, with the highway reopening early on Friday morning.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collision are in the hands of Griffith detectives.