Motorist missing after deadly crash on Mitchell Highway between Orange and Bathurst - ABC News

Police and SES volunteers have been searching for an injured driver who left the scene of a fatal car crash in the central west of New South Wales last night.

A ute and a van collided on the Mitchell Highway on the southern side of Lucknow, east of Orange, about 9:10pm.

The driver of the van died on impact but the driver of the ute left the scene shortly after the crash, Sergeant Brendan Turner said.

"We were concerned that he may have entered one of the nearby farm paddocks and collapsed there, so we had the SES out there doing a search of the immediate area but he was unable to be located," Sergeant Turner said.

"We've checked his home address and there's no person there and we've tried his mobile phone and there's no answer.

"We're still concerned for the welfare of that person.

"He did appear to have a head injury but we don't know the extent of that injury."

The cause of the crash is unknown but police do not believe it was related to black ice, which has been causing early-morning hazards on local roads.

"We can't rule out whether speed or fatigue or alcohol were contributing factors. That's still to be established," Sergeant Turner said.

Police said the man was described as being of Caucasian appearance and aged in his 30s.

He was wearing maroon tracksuit pants and a grey jumper.

The Mitchell Highway between Orange and Bathurst remained closed overnight but has since reopened.

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