The driver of a road train has died after colliding with the rear of another truck at Breadalbane, south-west of Goulburn.
Hume Police District commander, Superintendent Linda Bradbury said the driver of a B-double truck had broken down in a northbound lane of the Hume Highway just after 4am on Friday, July 17.
The driver, a 31-year-old man, exited the vehicle to deploy road hazard signs, and also notified other road users of the issue via CB radio, she said.
A driver of a road train (b-triple) vehicle then collided with the rear of the stationary B-double, causing both vehicles to catch fire, Supt Bradbury said.
The road train driver died at the scene. They are yet to be formally identified.
The 31-year-old was taken to Yass Hospital for treatment of minor lacerations to his face and mandatory testing.
The collision closed the Hume Highway in both directions between Yarra and Manton. Southbound lanes were re-opened at about 8.45am, and a northbound contraflow put in place at 11am. The road fully re-opened at 9pm.
"It was quite an intense fire, quite a distraught scene particularly for witnesses," Supt Bradbury said.
"It's taken several hours for the fire to be placed under control."
Emergency services, including NSW Fire and Rescue and RFS remained on scene at Breadalbane as salvage operations continued.
Four ambulance crews, including intensive care paramedics responded. A NSW Ambulance spokesperson confirmed a 31-year-old man, was taken to Yass Hospital in a stable condition with minor head injuries.
Southern Tablelands RFS district zone manager, Krystaal Hinds, said one of the vehicles was fully engulfed when crews arrived.
"Initial reports were that one of the vehicles was most likely carrying aerosol cans," she said.
The other vehicle was laden with refrigerated goods.
Working with NSW Fire and Rescue, crews used breathing apparatus to directly attack the flames. Fire and Rescue also brought a specialist Hazmat appliance from Sydney as a precaution.
Superintendent Hinds said about 10 crews were on scene from both fire services. The blaze was under control at 8.10am.
A NSW Fire and Rescue spokesperson confirmed a B-double and a B-triple semi-trailer were involved in the collision.
"One of the prime movers has been able to be moved away from the collision. However, the other semi-trailer and cab have been involved in the fire," the spokesperson said.
By 1.15pm, parts of the the B-triple's load were still smouldering. Three NSW Fire and Rescue trucks, comprising about 12 firefighters and a duty commander were on scene, while run-off water was being monitored.
A Traffic Management Centre spokesperson said a tow truck was at the site and salvage was taking place across the day.
The crash comes just over two weeks after a multi-truck crash in the same area. Two trucks collided near the Windmill Rest Area, on June 30. The impact shunted one truck into four others in the rest area. The resulting fire engulfed all six trucks, destroying them. All drivers escaped serious injury.
The crash occurred about 5km south of the June 30 collision.
Superintendent Bradbury said trucks were on the road 24/7 to deliver essential goods.
"Traffic and Highway Patrol and general duties run operations to reduce road trauma," she said.
"We're also working with our partners at Transport for NSW and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator to see what else we can do to make our roads safer for everybody.
"We remind our truck drivers to ensure they're well rested, not distracted and ready to take the long hauls."
Police are appealing for dashcam footage of the crash and for any witnesses who observed the trucks before the incident, to come forward.
