UPDATE, 1pm: POLICE have praised a quick thinking member of the public who caught milk spilling from a tanker in a bucket to put out a fire in the cabin of a grains truck, saving the trapped driver.
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Sergeant Pat Day said it was only the actions of the member of the public and a VicRoads worker, with a fire extinguisher, which saved the trapped 56-year-old Terang district man.
The grain/pellet semi-trailer heading west collided with the rear of a B-double milk tanker travelling in the same direction about 9am Friday, at the intersection of the Princes Highway and the Panmure-Naringal Road.
The driver of the grains semi-trailer suffered critical injuries including multiple fractures.
Sergeant Day said it was likely the injured man would be airlifted to a Melbourne hospital for further treatment.
"It's not believed the man suffered burns," he said.
"A couple of people stopped straight after the accident.
"One used a bucket to catch milk spilling from the tanker to extinguish the fire in the cabin of the truck where the driver was trapped.
"The other was a VicRoads worker who grabbed a dry powder extinguisher to help put out the fire."
Sergeant Day said it took State Emergency Service volunteers and paramedics about 40 minutes to free the trapped driver.
"The actions of the member of the public and the VicRoads worker probably saved the trapped driver's life," he said.
The 42-year-old milk tanker driver from Warrnambool was not injured.
At 11am: The Princes Highway is closed between Panmure and Allansford after a collision between a milk tanker and a grain truck at Naringal.
Traffic is being diverted through Cudgee.
Sergeant Pat Day, officer in charge of the accident scene, urged drivers to avoid the area.
“We still need to investigate what has happened and clean up all of the mess on the highway,” Sergeant Day said.
He said two trucks collided at the intersection of Naringal Road and the Princes Highway at 9am.
The fully laden milk tanker was struck from behind as it was making a left-hand turn into Naringal Road from the highway.
“The driver of the prime mover that was carrying grain is in a serious condition,” Sergeant Day said.
The cab of the grain transport caught fire and was extinguished by passers-by.
The highway is likely to be closed for hours, he said.