Traffic chaos after fatal peak-hour crash on Princes Freeway

Date: March 16 2017

Traffic gridlock has eased but snarls remain along the Princes Freeway and on roads in Melbourne's west more than eight hours after a deadly crash involving five cars and a truck on Thursday.

Traffic chaos hit peak-hour commuters after one person was killed and another seriously injured in the crash, near Forsyth Road in Point Cook, about 2.45pm.

The crash forced the closure of all outbound lanes of the freeway from Palmers Road, seeing traffic slow to a crawl for about 22 kilometres, with outbound delays back over the West Gate Bridge and through the Domain Tunnel.

At 11pm, traffic remained heavy beyond the Western Ring Road. Many drivers were exiting the road at Kororoit Creek Road in Altona, causing traffic to bank up in the local network.

Earlier, VicRoads advised commuters to consider leaving their car at work and taking public transport. 

About 5.30pm there was a second crash, on the West Gate Bridge, which caused the closure of two outbound lanes.

At least three cars were involved in the crash at the top of the bridge, but no one were seriously injured. That crash has since been cleared.

A driver of one of the cars involved in the crash on the Princes Freeway died at the scene.

A front passenger from the same vehicle - a woman believed to be in her 30s - was trapped inside the car for about an hour.

She was freed by firefighters and then flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious condition, with a head injury.

Paramedics assessed 13 other people at the scene, but none needed hospital treatment.

The circumstances surrounding the crash are not yet clear.

It was the second serious crash involving a truck on Thursday, after a man was hit on the side of the Calder Freeway near Woodend.

The man stopped his car on the side of the freeway, between Bawden and Quarry roads, when it ran out of petrol about 1.55pm.

The driver stepped out of his car and was filling up the tank when a small truck "clipped" him.

The truck continued driving south on the freeway. The man, a 25-year-old from Pascoe Vale South, suffered leg injuries and was flown to The Alfred hospital in a stable condition.

Police are investigating and say the driver of the truck is yet to be identified. The truck is described as a 4.5 tonne Curtainside or Tautliner.

Anyone with information on either collision can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.