UPDATE, Thursday, 2pm: Police have found the 85-year-old male driver of a four-wheel-drive veered into the path of a truck causing the fatal head-on collision near Dunkeld on Wednesday.
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Senior Constable Ben Carroll, of the Hamilton police highway patrol unit, said the Melbourne driver had veered into the truck's path for unknown reasons.
The four-wheel-drive was heading east towards Dunkeld when the accident happened between the town and the intersection of the Glenelg Highway with the Dunkeld-Penshurst and Cavendish-Dunkeld Road.
The truck and trailer had nothing on the wide load trailer but was accompanied by front and rear pilot vehicles.
"The truck driver has tried to take evasive action but been unable to avoid the collision," Senior Constable Carroll said.
At 9.35am: The condition of the two elderly Melbourne women involved in the fatal head-on collision with a truck near Dunkeld on Wednesday continues to improve.
A spokeswoman for The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne said one of the woman was now stable, while the other 80-year-old female was serious but stable.
At 4.30pm: An elderly driver died and two passengers were flown to hospital with serious injuries after a horror head-on collision with a truck near Dunkeld on Wednesday.
The women were listed as being in serious but stable conditions after they were rushed by helicopter to Melbourne's The Alfred hospital.
Portland police Sergeant Gavin Slade said the accident on the Glenelg Highway just west of Dunkeld occurred about 10.40am on Wednesday.
"Involved in that collision was a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a heavy haulage vehicle which was under escort at the time," he said.
Sergeant Slade said the driver of the four-wheel-drive, an 85-year-old Melbourne man, died at the scene.
One of the two women in the four-wheel-drive was believed to have been the man's wife.
A woman in her 80s was treated for upper body and leg injuries while a second woman, also in her 80s, is also in a serious but stable condition.
The man's death took the region's road toll to 11 so far this year, three more than for all of 2018.
A police spokesman said the accident happened between the Glenelg Highway intersection with the Dunkeld-Penshurst Road and the Cavendish-Dunkeld Road and the Dunkeld township.
It occurred on a straight stretch of road at the foot of Mount Sturgeon.
The middle-aged truck driver stopped at the scene and assisted police with their inquiries. He was not injured.
The police spokesman said the highway was blocked just west of Dunkeld between the Mount Sturgeon car park and the Dunkeld-Cavendish Road.
The Penshurst-Dunkeld Road remained open and traffic was diverted around the accident scene.
Police are investigating the cause of the collision
"It's a head-on collision. I'm not going into the cause of the accident any more than that," the police spokesman said.
Investigations into the cause of the accident will be carried out by the Hamilton police highway patrol unit members and Victoria Police major collision unit officers.
Anyone who witnessed or with any dashcam footage is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Update 3.30pm: The heavy haulage truck involved with the truck was under escort at the time, according to police.
Portland police Sergeant Gavin Slade said the accident occurred about 10.40am.
"Today we attended a fatal motor vehicle collision on the Glenelg Highway just west of Dunkeld," Sergeant Slade said.
"Involved in that collision was a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a heavy haulage vehicle which was under escort at the time."
Sergeant Slade said the driver of the four-wheel-drive, an 85-year-old male from Melbourne, died at the scene.
Two female passengers in the four-wheel-drive, one believed to have been the man's wife, were airlifted to the Alfred hospital.
A woman in her 80s was treated for upper body and leg injuries and is in a serious but stable condition.
The second woman, also in her 80s, is also in a serious but stable condition.
Update, 2pm: An 85-year-old Melbourne male driver has died and his two female passengers were critically injured after a head-on collision with a truck near Dunkeld.
The elderly women, also from Melbourne, were airlifted by helicopter to hospital.
A police spokesman said the accident happened between the Glenelg Highway intersection with the Dunkeld-Penshurst Road and the Cavendish-Dunkeld Road and the Dunkeld township, on a straight stretch of road.
The middle-aged truck driver stopped at the scene and is assisting police with inquiries.
He was not injured.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said paramedics assessed several people at the accident scene.
"A woman was treated for upper body injuries and was flown to The Alfred Hospital in a serious but stable condition," she said.
"A second person has also been flown to The Alfred Hospital in a serious but stable condition," she said.
The police spokesman said the highway was blocked just west of Dunkeld, between the Mount Sturgeon car park and the Dunkeld-Cavendish Road, and would be for some time.
The Penshurst-Dunkeld Road remains open and traffic is being detoured around the accident scene.
"It's a head-on collision. I'm not going into the cause of the accident any more than that," the police spokesman said.
Investigations into the cause of the accident will be carried out by the Hamilton police highway patrol unit members and Victoria Police major collision unit officers.
The accident happened about 10.45am.
Anyone who witnessed or with any dashcam footage is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Earlier: A person is reported by police to have died and two people are critically injured after a collision between a truck and car on the Glenelg Highway north-east of Hamilton.
A helicopter is currently circling the accident scene.
According to the emergencyvic website the accident happened soon after 10.45am just west of Dunkeld, about 30 kilometres out of Hamilton.
Emergency services including police, ambulance officers and fire fighters have arrived at the accident scene at the intersection of the Glenelg Highway with the Penshurst-Dunkeld Road and the Cavendish-Dunkeld Road.
It's expected that Victoria Police major collision unit members will be called in to assist with the investigation into the cause of the collision.
More to come.
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