Police are yet to formally confirm the identity of the truck driver who died in a Hume Highway crash near Gunning on Tuesday evening.
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It could "take a while," said acting Inspector David Cowell of Yass Police Station on Wednesday morning.
He said the probable driver's employer, family and friends had been contacted to help with identification.
Police were reluctant to name him in case he had swapped jobs with another driver that day, he said.
About 4.40pm on April 23, emergency services were called to reports of a truck crash on the highway, about five kilometres east of Gunning.
Police were told a northbound prime mover crashed into a B-double that had broken down in lane one.
The prime mover's cabin and engine were engulfed in flames on impact.
The driver died at the scene.
The driver of the broken-down truck was talking to police and later taken to hospital with minor injuries, on-scene paramedics told the Tribune.
I can only assume the fuel tanks ruptured and there were sparks as a result of the impact.
- Superintendent Peter Alley
A Gunning Motors employee, Chevon Greene, said she had spoken to someone who had been sent to the service station to get fuel for the truck that had broken down.
The crash happened not long afterwards.
Both trucks were alight when the Rural Fire Service (RFS) arrived on the scene, Superintendent Peter Alley said.
Six RFS brigades responded to the fires, along with Fire and Rescue NSW.
Firefighters have not established a cause for the blaze; however, Superintendent Alley said he could only assume the fuel tanks ruptured, ignited by sparks on impact.
Emergency services remained on the scene until about 1am on April 24. The northbound lane was closed throughout the night and reopened about 6am.
Up to 20 trucks close to the scene faced an overnight stay, unable to turn around in the northbound lane.
Drivers were seen supporting one another in the aftermath of the crash.
Groups of drivers were talking through the incident and sharing food and water.
Gunning Motors remained open later than usual to assist traffic diverted through the village.
Ms Greene said a few drivers who asked what had happened were saddened by the news when she told them.
The crash is under investigation and police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them.
- Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
